Method of Game Play Providing For the Equitable Collecting of Certain Game Components

ABSTRACT

Provided herein is a novel method of game play that provides for the fair and equitable exchange of certain game components occurring during game play, and more specifically, said method of game play that encompasses all variations of game play where the exchange of said game components occurs as the result of an auction or auction-like process. 
     The present invention creates game play that allows for the acquisition of collectible game components, and more specifically, collectible cards, where ownership of said collectible game components is transferred from one player to another and is governed by rules that provide for the fair and equitable exchange of said components. 
     Other novel features of the present invention include, among other things, infinite game length, game play without the determination of a winner, simultaneous game play, and the use and addition of an unlimited number of certain game components during game play.

COPYRIGHT

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner reserves all copyright rights whatsoever, to said material appearing in this patent, and more specifically to any material related to the rules of game play.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains generally to a method for the exchange of ownership of certain game components as a result of game play, and specifically to game components that are collectible, where said exchange of ownership of said game components is governed by rules of game play that allow for the equitable exchange of said game components; and specifically to a collectible card game, providing for the exchange of ownership of collectible cards through an auction process, with the acquiring of said cards occurring both within and without game play, with acquisition within game play occurring primarily by means of said auction process, and secondarily as a consequence of other aspects of game play as specified by the rules of game play; as well as alternative embodiments of the same, including different gaming formats such as, inter alia, electronic games, interactive networks, internet gaming, computer software, hand-held game devices and board games; and specifically in embodiments where the acquisition of the collectible game components occurs as the result of an auction or an auction-like process.

REFERENCES CITED

United States Patent Documents

4,140,319 Feb. 20, 1979 Aycock 4,261,575 Apr. 14, 1981 Matthews, et al. 4,437,670 Mar. 20, 1984 Simon 4,637,614 Jan. 20, 1987 Gibbon 4,890,842 Jan. 2, 1990 Plange 5,360,217 Nov. 1, 1994 Taylor 5,662,332 Sep. 2, 1997 Garfield 6,017,034 Jan. 25, 2000 Hennessey 6,142,475 Nov. 7, 2000 Hennessey 6,402,152 Jun. 11, 2002 Kutzik 6,435,508 Aug. 20, 2002 Tavel RE37,957 Jan. 7, 2003 Garfield 7,055,823 Jun. 6, 2006 Denkewicz, Jr. 7,086,645 Aug. 8, 2006 Hardie 7,539,398 May 26, 2009 Alderdice, et al. 7,810,815 Oct. 12, 2010 Connaway 8,100,402 Jan. 24, 2012 Salomon, et al. 8,221,124 Jul. 17, 2012 Ferguson, et al. 8,523,648 Sep. 3, 2013 Gilson, et al. 8,622,393 Jan. 7, 2014 Hacker, et al. 8,668,562 Mar. 11, 2014 Ishihara, et al. 8,950,094 Feb. 10, 2015 Kohn, et al.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to games in which certain components involved in game play are acquired by players during the course of game play; and more specifically, to games that involve the exchange and/or acquisition of said game components through the use of an auction or auction like process. And while the game components being exchanged and/or acquired may take many forms, the present invention is more specifically intended to facilitate the equitable exchange of collectible cards between the various game players.

The present invention has many unique aspects of game play which include, inter alia, the exchange and/or acquisition of game components as a result of game play; the use of Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ to insure the equitable distribution of game components when the exchange of ownership of game components results from game play; the use of an auction or auction-like process in certain embodiments of the present invention as the vehicle by which the acquisition of game components is achieved; simultaneous game play in certain embodiments of the present invention, allowing all players to play at the same time; the ability to have game play that does not result in the determination of a winning player in certain embodiments of the present invention; infinite game play length in certain embodiments of the present invention; the ability to easily suspend game play and continue it at a later date in certain embodiments of the present invention; the ability to easily add or remove players during a game in certain embodiments of the present invention; and the ability of players to customize game play by adding rules and/or game components in certain embodiments of the present invention. Additionally, some versions of game play are designed as teaching devices or aids.

Certain embodiments of the present invention use an auction as the vehicle by which collectible game components are acquired by players. In certain variations of these embodiments, said acquisition results in the transfer of ownership of said collectible game components from one player to another. It can be appreciated that games involving an auction have been in existence for many decades, however the present invention is unique in that game play can result in the exchange of ownership of various game components as a result of an auction, or auction-like process, and that whenever game play results in the exchange of ownership of said game components, specific rules govern the equitable exchange of those game components. Further, there is no known game with an auction as a part of game play, where the transfer of ownership of collectible game components results from said auction.

While the main focus of the present invention relates to the acquisition of collectible cards, it is by no means restricted to collectible cards. Other collectible items, such as, inter alia, coins, tokens, action figures, plastic animals, plastic figures, plush toys or stamps may be collected and/or traded using the method provided in the present invention; allowing for the equitable exchange of collectible game components through use of certain game rules, herein called Fair Trade Collecting Rules™.

The creation of a game with collectable components is nothing new. In specific, collectible card games are not new. According to Wikipedia, collectable card games, also called trading card games, have been around for over a century. As stated on Wikipedia, the first collectible card game was called “The Base Ball Card Game.” The game was produced by The Allegheny Card Company and printing on the backs of the game cards states that the game was registered on Apr. 5, 1904. Since then, many variations of collectable trading card games have been created, and some have been patented. What makes each game different is the uniqueness embodied in the playing of the game, and the cards themselves. One of the best-known collectable card games is “Magic”. “Magic” was initially produced by Wizards of the Coast and game play allows players to adopt fictitious roles to do battle with another player or players. The goal of the game, as is the goal with most games, is to defeat or destroy the other player or players. In “Magic” and games like it, this is done by players using various powers that their cards possess in game play, to reduce the “energy” or “life force” of the other participants to a point where they are eliminated from the game. The collectible nature of the cards created for these types of games derives partly from the abilities and/or powers possessed by said cards and the advantages they provide the participant who possesses them.

The current genre of collectable card games do not provide for the change of ownership of collectible game cards as a result of and/or during game play; nor do these games provide rules for the equitable exchange of said cards. The present invention allows for both the acquisition of collectible cards as a result of, and/or during, game play, and also incorporates Fair Trade Collecting Rules™, which are specifically designed and created to allow for the equitable exchange of said collectible cards. Additionally, the current genre of collectable card games have rules that provide for game play that is tightly structured, with strict protocols on how game play and player interactions are conducted. It is appreciated that the variableness and abilities of the cards produced for these games can be limitless, but the rules governing what happens in a turn, and how players may interact, are very structured. Players are not free to trade cards during game play, nor does game play result in change of ownership of said collectible cards that are acquired as a result of game play. Further, said players cannot construct arrangements with other players governing the interactions of cards or the interactions they have with other players. In certain embodiments of the present invention, players are able to freely interact in almost every aspect of game play, with certain aspects of game play allowing players the freedom to construct their own deals or bartering arrangements. In addition, certain embodiments of the present invention allow players to determine the parameters of game play by selecting a portion of the rules by which they will play the game; thus, players are able to customize game play. In certain embodiments of the present invention the number of cards that can be used in and for game play, is variable and/or unlimited. With most card games the number of cards used for game play is usually fixed. The game “Magic” requires players to construct a deck of cards they will use for game play, from all the cards in their possession. The number of cards in the deck has a specific and limited size, and each player's deck must be the same size. The number of cards that a player can play in a turn is also specific and limited in number, with a player creating or drawing a “hand” of cards from their deck, with which to play each turn. In the preferred embodiments of the present invention players are not required to create a “hand” of cards and the number of cards that can be used for game play, or that can be in game play, is unlimited.

In the preferred embodiments of the present invention there is no depletion of the “energy” or “life force” of the other participants and players are not removed from game play by other players. In the game “Magic” each player obtains an initial hand of a predetermined number of game components by shuffling their library of game components and drawing at random game components from their library. Players then execute turns in sequence with other players by drawing, playing, and discarding game components. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention players do not shuffle their cards or draw cards at random. Instead players select a number of cards, where said number may be fixed or variable, from their collection or cache of cards and submit them to an auction process. Players then bid on the cards in an effort to add them to their collection, with the object of game play usually being the collecting of the cards, not the defeat or removal of other players from game play. In this preferred embodiment of the present invention players are free to view and use any cards in their cache of cards. Players can also add to their cache at any time during game play, with their being no limit to the size of a player's cache. Additionally, game play in “Magic” involves bringing into play one or more game components by selecting said game component(s) and designating the game component(s) being brought into play by rotating said component(s) from an original orientation to a second orientation. There is no such process in the present invention.

It should also be noted that “Magic” and games like it, are designed to create fantasy and fictitious worlds, with game play possessing little or no educational qualities. And while Tavel, U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,508, states the patented game therein has literary, reading comprehension, scientific and mathematical learning components, it is this claim that distinguishes that particular game from similar games, belonging to the genre of combative, fantasy styled card games. Even with Tavel's claims, the true educational value of a game can be greatly impacted by the design and intent of the game and the material being presented, as well as the environment in which the game is designed to be used to express those educational qualities. That being said, games which are specifically designed to be used as educational tools, in a school setting such as certain embodiments of the present invention, are probably better suited as a teaching tool than those that are not. Certain preferred embodiments of the present invention are unique in that they are specifically designed for educational purposes and for use both in the classroom and as a teaching tool. In that regard various embodiments of the present invention were design specifically as educational tools. In one embodiment of the present invention collectible animal cards are acquired through an auction. The cards in this embodiment of the present invention have an extensive amount of educational material about the animal on them, which includes, inter alia, a picture of the animal, the endangered status, common name, class and family, genus and species, geographic location, habitat information, size, diet, reproductive information, life span and notes containing interesting factoids about the animal. In addition game play for this embodiment of the present invention allows players to practice, inter alia, mathematical, social, economic, communication, geographic and managerial skills. In this embodiment of the present invention both educational and conservational aspects of wildlife are brought to the attention of the players.

In Taylor, U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,217, collectible cards are collected by game players, but collection of said cards is not designed to be the direct result of one player interacting with another player, nor is there any specified method, mechanism or rules to govern the equitable exchange of said collectible cards between players. Rather, ownership of said cards is achieved by purchasing or acquiring said cards from distributors and/or secondary parties; with players participating in a game designed around procuring a specific or predetermined set of collectible cards. In the preferred embodiments of the present invention the collectible items are not restricted to cards and when cards are the collectible item, players can collect any cards they choose and game play does not require players to obtain a specific or predetermined set of cards. In Taylor, U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,217, game play is the simple act of collecting game cards to achieve a specified set of cards, which can then be exchanged for prizes offered by participating sponsors. In that regard, the act of acquiring cards is not a function of player interactions during game play, but rather the act of purchasing a manufacturer's product and receiving cards as the result of said purchase. In Taylor, U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,217, there is no specified mechanism by which players acquire cards by playing a game with other players where the cards acquired during game play become the property of the player who has acquired said cards. In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, players collect cards to create a cache with which to play the game, with collecting of said cards occurring both within and without game play, and with game play being a method by which ownership of those cards is transferred from one player to another, with Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ providing for the equitable exchange of those cards. Game play of the preferred embodiments of the present invention also has actual rules of play, so that the essence of the present invention goes beyond the simple act of collecting cards. Taylor, U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,217, is played over a definite time period. Embodiments of the present invention have no such restriction and can be played indefinitely. Taylor, U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,217, does not use an auction as a part of game play, whereas, in the preferred embodiments of the present invention, an auction is an integral part of game play and the method by which game components change ownership from one player to another.

In Hennessey, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,017,034 and 6,142,475, to play the game, each player must adopt fictitious roles based on predetermined demographic characteristics. In the preferred embodiments of the present invention there are no such requirements. Further, in Hennessey, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,017,034 and 6,142,475, collectible cards are collected by game players, but gaining ownership of said cards is not a direct result of game play, nor is there any method, mechanism or rules to govern the equitable exchange of those collectible cards between players as is the case with the present invention. Rather, ownership of said cards is achieved by purchasing said cards from distributors and/or retailers, with players then playing a game with the cards they have collected. Hennessey, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,017,034 and 6,142,475, is not a method of game play allowing for the equitable exchange of collectible cards as a result of game play, as is the case with the present invention. In addition, Hennessey, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,017,034 and 6,142,475, does not use an auction as a part of game play, whereas, in the preferred embodiments of the present invention, an auction is the method by which collectible components change ownership from one player to another during game play, with said ownership being governed by Fair Trade Collecting Rules™.

Kutzik, U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,152, is a game method using indicia of occurrence for collectible elements, to identify the relative frequency of a given collectible element in relation to other collectible elements. While the present invention may have varying frequencies of collectible elements used in game play, the present invention is not designed as a method to identify the relative frequency of a given collectible element in relation to other collectible elements used in game play. Rather, the present invention is a method by which ownership of said collectible elements can be exchanged as a result of game play, in an equitable manner, using Fair Trade Collecting Rules™. In addition, there is no auction in Kutzik, U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,152; whereas in the preferred embodiments of the present invention an auction is the vehicle for the acquisition of said collectible elements.

Denkewicz, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,823, relates to educational and entertaining playing cards used in playing a card game using at least one deck of a plurality of playing cards with the object of game play being to win all cards from the opponent in a two-player game. While the present invention, in certain forms, uses educational playing cards, the present invention is not restricted to a two-player game where the object of game play is to win all cards from the opponent, as is required in Denkewicz, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,823. In the present invention, where collectible cards used to play the game are educational, the object of game play is not to acquire all an opponent cards; but rather to use game play as a method to attempt to gain ownership of any card(s) a player would like to acquire, where the equitable transfer of said ownership is facilitated by Fair Trade Collecting Rules™. In addition, there is no auction in Denkewicz, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,823; whereas in the preferred embodiments of the present invention an auction is the vehicle used to facilitate the acquisition of said collectible cards.

In other forms, such as a board game, the auction aspect of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is still unique. While other games have included an auction as a part of game play, the auction aspect of those games differs greatly from the current invention. In the current invention, in embodiments that have an auction as a part of game play, players use the auction process as the center of game play, where the acquisition of game components is the objective of game play, and is the means by which players gain actual ownership of said game components. For that reason the present invention has Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ that are designed to allow for the equitable exchange of game components as a result of game play, with said Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ being a unique aspect of game play that pertain only to the present invention. It should also be noted that currently there are no known board or card games, that do not provide for the determination of a winner. In certain embodiments of the present invention there is no determination of a game winner.

Aycock, U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,319, Gibbon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,614 and Plange, U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,842, are all board games that included an auction as a part of game play. None is a collectible card game. None allows for the acquisition of game components as a result of game play. None end without the determination of a winner. The auction portion of game play in certain embodiments of the present invention is designed as a vehicle by which the ownership of collectible game components changes between players. In Plange, U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,842 and Aycock, U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,319 the auction is not a method by which ownership of collectible game components changes between players. In addition in Plange, U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,842 and Aycock, U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,319 the auction is a random part of game play and only happens when a player lands on an auction space on a game board. As such the auction is a chance occurrence and not a planned, sequential, ordered or controlled part of game play. Auctions in the preferred embodiments of the present invention are prescribed by game play rules to be a regular part of game play, whether held every turn or intermittently, as prescribed or allowed by the rules of game play; but the auctions in the preferred embodiments of the present invention are never a random or chance occurrence determined by a player landing on a specific game board space. Because of the random nature of the auction process in both Plange, U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,842 and Aycock, U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,319, it is possible that an auction might not occur during the course of game play. Since the auction is a necessary part of game play in the preferred embodiments of the present invention there would never be a case where a game would not have an auction take place during game play, since game play will always have an auction as a planned and integral part of game play, and not the result of a chance occurrence.

The items auctioned in Plange, U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,842, are specified as cars, which are auctioned as a result of chance occurrences within game play. The items being sold in Aycock, U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,319, are limited specifically to property or property lots, which are also auctioned as a result of chance occurrences within game play. In both cases the items being auctioned are not collectibles; but are a fixed and consistent set of items that are used for each game played, with said items available or offered for auction being the same items for every game. Cards or other items offered for auction in certain embodiments of the present invention may encompass a wide range of items or entities, including cars or property, and specifically animal cards in one embodiment of the present invention, which are collectible and variable; and where regardless of the type of item being auctioned, said items offered for auction can vary from one auction and/or game to the next and are not required to be a fix and/or consistent set. In Plange, U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,842 and Aycock, U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,319, there is no cache of game components that belong to the player and the game components are not selected for auction by choice, but by random game events. The items auctioned in certain embodiments of the present invention are the property of the players and are not necessarily a fixed number of items. In addition in certain embodiments of the present invention it is possible that more than one item may be auctioned at the same time. Further, since the present invention pertains to a method whereby certain collectible game components can exchange ownership through game play, governed by Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ that allow for the equitable exchange of said components, the scope of the current invention is unique and novel when compared to Plange, U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,842 and Aycock, U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,319.

Gibbon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,614, is a board game with an auction. However Gibbon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,614, is not a game with collectible game pieces. Gibbon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,614, has a limited number of cards that are used for game play, with said cards remaining the same for each game, and that permanently remain as a part of game play. Specifically the claim in Gibbon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,614, is for an auction based apparatus with the apparatus having a game board with pockets for receiving miscellaneous auction-item cards required to fill the game board, with players collecting specific items to be added to specific pockets on a player's game board, until all of the pockets on a player's board are filled; as opposed to certain embodiments of the present invention, which have an auction in which there is no apparatus with pockets; and there is no requirement to collect predetermined items through the auction in said embodiments of the present invention. In Gibbon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,614, there are 14 pockets on a game board that correspond to 14 items a player must collect, and the game ends when one player fills all 14 pockets. The game deals more specifically with the collection of home furnishing and does not extend beyond that scope. The item to be bid upon is drawn from a fixed deck of cards, that are a generic part of game play, and which are not the personal property of any player. There is no cache of game components that belong to game players, from which players select cards to submit to an auction and cards do not change ownership or become the property of the players playing the game as a result of game play. Cards in certain embodiments of the present invention are the property of the players, where players collect a cache of cards with which to play the game, with said cards being collectible and where game play is a method whereby said collectible cards can exchange ownership as a result of game play, governed by Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ that allow for the equitable exchange of said cards. In addition, in embodiments of the present invention, players are not trying to collect a specific number of items to fill corresponding pockets on a game board, and it is possible that more than one card may be auctioned at the same time.

Matthew, U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,575, is a game intended to be played by two or more players who bid for letters in an auction process to acquire letters for word-making, the rules specifying that the winner is the player who, on completion of the game, possesses the most money. This game has the limited claim of using an auction apparatus for players to specifically collect alphabetical letters to build words and is not a collectible card game. The number and type of playing pieces used for game play is limited and fixed. In Matthew, U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,575, there is no cache of game components from which players take game components to use for game play, nor does game play result in the exchange of game components. In the preferred embodiments of the present invention collectible game components are available in a reservoir of multiple copies, of a plurality of those components, which players acquire to create a cache to use for game play, where game play can result in the permanent exchange of said collectible game components and where the said exchange of said components is governed by Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ of play that provide for the equitable exchange of said components.

A card game patented by Simon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,670, has an auction as a primary element of game play, but the auction differs from the present invention in that a fixed number of cards, are auctioned for each game. In addition the game in Simon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,670, is not a collectible card game. In Simon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,670, the cards involved in the auction are two decks of cards having identical playing surfaces and with the decks being limited to a finite number of cards. Embodiments of the present invention do not have identical playing decks and the number of cards is not limited to a specific number. In Simon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,670, a specific number of cards that are auctioned are recalled and do not remain in the possession of the player that acquired them, with the recalled cards being put into a common discard pile. No such recall exists in embodiments of the present invention where an auction is apart of game play, and there is no common discard pile for cards. Any cards removed from game play in embodiments of the present invention are returned to the card owner's cache. As previously noted, in Simon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,670, there are two decks of cards with identical playing surfaces. A predetermined number of cards are randomly selected and removed from one deck and those cards are then matched to the cards from a second deck by recalling cards from the second deck and placing them in a discard pile until only those cards matching the pre-selected cards from the first deck remain. A game winner is then determined as a result of this process. In embodiments of the present invention where an auction is apart of game play, the cards auctioned are the property of the player that acquired them during game play and cards acquired at auction are not surrendered or recalled during game play as in Simon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,670. Where the auction in Simon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,670, is a means to distribute a number of cards that will either be recalled and discarded, or in the case of a few selected cards, remain in the game to determine the winner, the auction in said embodiments of the present invention where an auction is apart of game play, is a means of collecting cards and a way to bring cards into game play. The auction in said embodiments of the present invention, is not a means by which the cards from one deck of cards are distributed to players as a part of a process of attempting to obtain a few specific cards that will match a few cards selected from a second deck to determine a winner. In said embodiments of the present invention where an auction is apart of game play, game play is not designed to have two decks of cards with identical playing surfaces, where those decks are used to determine a winner. And while in said embodiments of the present invention where an auction is apart of game play, it is possible players may have identical decks of cards, it is not the object, design or method of game play to match any cards from one deck to pre-selected cards in any other deck to determine the outcome of the game or a game winner. Instead, game play is designed as a collecting vehicle where players can exchange ownership of game cards by playing the game, where Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ provide for the equitable exchange of those cards.

Hardie, U.S. Pat. No. 7,086,645, provides a game including a playing surface, collectible playing pieces, marking pieces, and collectible cards, where players take turns trying to create specific hands by throwing the playing pieces, with the first player to successfully claim ownership of four consecutive placeholders on the playing surface being the winner. While embodiments of the present invention have collectible playing pieces and/or collectible cards as a part of game play, players do not try to create “specific hands”. Players also do not try to claim ownership of “four consecutive placeholders on the playing surface” to become the winner. Indeed, in the preferred embodiments of the present invention there is no determination of a game winner. Further, Hardie, U.S. Pat. No. 7,086,645, does not provides for the change of ownership and equitable acquisition of game components as a result of game play, as does the present invention.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention is not a method of producing a digital video and audio collectible sports card, as is the case with Alderdice, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,539,398, it can be appreciated that one or more embodiments of the present invention could be used to enhance game play containing said cards. Specifically the use of Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ could allow game play to include the equitable acquisition of said cards as a result of game play. In that regard, it can be appreciated that the novelty of rules governing the equitable acquisition of game components is what differentiates the present invention from all prior games.

As was the case with Alderdice, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,539,398, the present invention was not designed to be a game featuring sports cards. While cards containing sports figures may be used to play variations of the present invention, the preferred embodiment of the present invention features collectible animal cards. And while the acquisition of sports cards may be facilitated through the use of Fair Trade Collecting RulesTMduring game play, said rules, or any other rules of game play, for any embodiment of the present invention, do not allow for a simulated game of baseball, as is the case with Connaway, U.S. Pat. No. 7,810,815.

Ferguson, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,221,124, states that it is a method of educating that includes providing a collectible trading card game with a plurality of trading cards, where each card contains educational information including a consonant, vowel, number or mathematical operator where said cards are used to form a properly spelled word or to form a mathematically correct equation. Although the present invention was designed as an educational game (specifically through the use of collectible cards), that is not the primary or sole aspect of the invention's uniqueness. The current invention was primarily designed as a true collectible card game (where the acquisition of said cards was facilitated as a result of game play), with certain embodiments having exceptional imagery on collectible cards that give them that collectibility. The educational information on said cards are not used to form a properly spelled word or to form a mathematically correct equation by using a consonant, vowel, number or mathematical operator on said cards. Instead, said cards have educational information regarding the images pictured on the cards. As an example of the educational value of the present invention, in one embodiment of the present invention, game play involves the acquisition of collectible cards with images of animals on them. In this embodiment of the present invention, not only is the imagery educational (in allowing the viewer to be able to see a visual reference of what the animal looks like and give them the ability to identify that animal), but in also containing printed information about the animal pictured on the card, which may include, among other things, the habitat and geographical local of the animal in the wild, its diet, its size, its scientific and common names, its endangered status and the scientific class to which it belongs. Other aspects of game play of said embodiment are also educational. In said embodiment, game play also requires, among other things, the use of mathematical, communication, interpersonal relationship, record-keeping and financial skills. In that regard, the present invention is both a repository of information and a trainer for various skills, as opposed to a collection of letters and numbers used to create words or mathematical equations.

Gilson, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,523,648, is described as a customizable game, such as one employing trading cards, that allows a player to modify a card before or during game play so that the modified card has abilities beyond the unmodified card itself, where some or all aspects of trading card games may be employed, including deck construction, special ability cards (cards that alter the rules of play for at least one round), and/or casting cost (requiring play of one or more cards before certain other cards are played); however the claims listed for Gilson, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,523,648, all reference a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, if executed by a computing system having a processor, cause the computing system to perform various operations which include obtaining a group of multiple digital objects for use as game components, wherein each of the digital objects in the group is randomly distributed among players of a game. The present invention has no random distribution of any game components, whether digital or physical, to the players. Also, there is no deck construction aspect of game play for the current invention, nor are there any casting costs in the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Gilson, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,523,648, also states that it is a system and method to permit a card, game piece, digital object, or other suitable game component to accumulate history or other data, with this data then being used to change the game component, such as to change its appearance, provide for it additional/enhance abilities, etc. Whereas Gilson, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,523,648, claims a game employing user-modifiable game components, such as cards in a collectable card game, that employ various features to provide user-modifiability, including sleeves, transparent cards, stickers, and other elements, these aspects of game play are only unique in so much as they change the physical appearances of said game components and/or in the method in which said user-modifiability is implemented. Interaction between game components to change the abilities of a game component is, in itself, not a new, novel or unique aspect of games. The game “Magic” has had card modification as a part of game play since its inception, with the abilities of one card being modified by the playing of additional cards.

Gilson, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,523,648, also describes a system and method to permit two or more cards, game pieces, digital object, or other type of game component to be submitted (physically or electronically) in return for one or more new cards, game pieces, or game components. This, in itself, is not a new, unique or novel aspect of games. Poker allows the construction of a hand of cards through the exchange of cards held by a player for new cards.

Hacker, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,622,393, is directed toward a trading card game for two players, that includes one or more first cards that each has only one immovable section, and a second card for each player that includes a first section and a second section, with the second section being movable relative to the first section so that the second card moves between a first position and a second position, where, in the first position, a portion of the second section is unexposed to the players and in the second position, the portion of the second section is exposed to the players, and influences the outcome of at least a portion of the game. And while there are different embodiments of Hacker, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,622,393, in should be noted that the present invention does not have trading cards with moveable parts, nor is game play limited to two persons. Hacker, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,622,393, is also directed toward a method for playing a trading card game between a first player and a second player; and while the preferred embodiment of the present invention uses trading cards in game play, the present invention is not limited in scope to game components just being trading cards. In addition, in the present invention, it is possible for game components to change ownership as a result of game play, with the current invention having Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ to govern the acquisition of said trading cards during game play. There also is no ‘deck construction’ in the present invention, unlike Hacker, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,622,393.

Ishihara, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,668,562, is a method of playing a game for two or more players where each player selects a predetermined number of figures from a plurality of figures, with the first player executing a turn, with the option of moving at least one of their figures from one location to another and attacking one of another player's selected figures; where the result of the attack is determined by the first player performing a predetermined action using one of their selected figures and another player performing a predetermined action using one of their selected figures. The present invention has no predetermined number of figures that are used in game play, and a player's cache of game components that are used in game play may be unlimited. There are also no predetermined actions which a player must perform in the present invention. Unlike the present invention, Ishihara, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,668,562, does not allow for the exchange of game components as a result of game play, nor does it have any rules for the equitable exchange of said components. In addition, the preferred embodiments of the present invention do not provide for one player to attack another player.

What is novel about the present invention, and lacking in all other games involving the use of collectible components as a part of game play, is the acquisition and/or exchange of ownership of game components as a result of game play, where Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ facilitate said acquisition and/or exchange of ownership of said components.

Currently there is no know game that provides for the exchange of ownership of game components as a result of game play, nor does any game provide a mechanism or rules for the equitable exchange of ownership of said game components, as is provided for in the present invention through the use of Fair Trade Collecting Rules™. Currently there are no known collectable card games that use an auction, or auction process, as a part of game play or as a method for card collecting where ownership of said cards is transferred from one player to another as a result of game play. Currently there are no known collectible card games that are designed to be infinite in duration of play. There are also no known collectible card games that allow players to be added to, or leave a game and have the option to return, once play has begun, while maintaining the continuity of game play for the remaining players. Further, no known collectible card game allows game play to be the vehicle by which cards are traded. Some card games are played with the winner gaining ownership of a predetermined card or cards, but there are no known games where all the cards a player acquires during game play are the property of that player and where all the cards in play in the game have the potential of changing owners. There is also no known collectible card game where there can be the absence of the determination of a winner. Currently there is no known collectible card game involving interactions between players, that when played using game rules, does not provide for the determination of a winner.

The one area where collectable cards games are consistently similar is in the desire to have cards that have appeal to consumers. The appeal may be a result of the cards being beautifully designed; it may be because the cards feature branded characters; it may be a result of a trend, or any number or combination of these, or other factors. Whatever the appeal, the size used for almost all collectable cards has been standardized at approximately 2½ inches by 3½ inches, although the actual size of the cards of the various games does vary slightly. Exceptions are cards such as those in the “Archenemy”, “Commander”, “Planechase” and “Vanguard” series released by Wizards of the Coast, which are 3.5 inches by 5 inches. And while other card games also have larger cards that are approximately 3.5 inches by 5 inches, no known collectible cards are 4 inches by 6 inches. In embodiments of the present invention, where the collectible components are cards, said embodiments of the present invention provide both novel play, and to a lesser extent, novel cards.

The intended card size for said embodiments of the present invention was designed to be larger than the average collectable card, with said intended card size being the standard photo size of 4 inches by 6 inches. This size was chosen to allow gamers the opportunity to download cards from the internet and print them on a personal printer, on photo size paper, giving players the ability to add said cards to game play or their collection. This also allows players to use standard photo albums to display, store and protect cards that are said card size of 4 inches by 6 inches. In addition, said cards were designed to be bigger to give them greater collectibility. Using a non-standard collectable card size, that is larger than currently available collectible cards, not only adds uniqueness and collectibilty to said cards, but also allows for larger, and more detailed images. Larger cards can also hold more information, which is an intended design aspect of said cards for educational purposes, with certain cards being designed as educational tools and/or aids. This does not mean that the aforementioned cards cannot be another size; but it does indicate that there is purpose and design behind the concept of using a non-standard 4 inch by 6 inch card size.

The original concept for the present invention was an animal card game, where players collect modern day animals to create their own zoo. Cards were specifically designed to be educational, as well as collectible. The information on the cards was created to educate players about animals and their endangered status in the wild. Information on a typical card includes the endangered status of the species, the common name and species name of the animal, the size of the animal, a population distribution map of the species, a picture of the animal, the biological classification of the animal, the diet of the animal, reproductive information, longevity and a section that has interesting factoids about the animal. In this embodiment of the present invention the wealth of information included on these cards was intentional, with the cards being designed to be used in a school or teaching environment. In addition, actual game play is also educational, combining inter alia, the use of mathematical, geographical, financial, communication and inter-personal relational skills with a player's ability to construct and manage a zoo. Other variations of the game may include extinct animals, plants, or inanimate objects, such as vehicles, stamps or gems; with each variation containing its own set of educational information, specifically designed for that variation. The intent of including educational information on the game cards is for that information to be used as a teaching tool, and it is not simply a by-product of design. Combining all the intentional design aspects of the game cards makes the game cards of the present invention novel, when compared to the cards of other collectible cards games.

As mentioned, certain embodiments of the present invention use an auction process to facilitate the trading and collecting of game components, using specially designed rules to allow for the equitable exchange of these components. Currently there are no known games where game play is the vehicle by which collectible components are exchanged between players, or where game play results in the exchange of collectible components between players. There are also no known games that provide a mechanism by which the exchange of collectible components are equitably regulated. The current invention not only allows and facilitates the exchange of game components between players, but also has specific rules that provide for the equitable exchange of said components.

Game play in certain embodiments of the present invention consists of two part turns, consisting of an auction, usually followed by an interactive event phase or Open. Collectible components are submitted to the auction, and/or acquired from the auction by players. The number of said components that can be submitted to the auction may be variable and can be unlimited. This allows players to control the size of any given auction. In addition, players never construct a “hand” of cards to use in game play and there is no limit to the number of cards that can be in play during a turn. They simply choose cards from their cache and submit them to the auction. The Open allows players to interact with each other, just as they might in real life, to inter alia, make deals, trade game components, and/or to use their game components to interact with other game components. In addition, any special abilities of game components can be utilized by players during the Open. The Open may be loosely structured to allow players to interact with other players in almost any fashion they choose or it may be regulated in some or all aspects of game play to ensure the equitable exchange of game components. There may be no limit to the number of cards that can be in play during the Open or in game play.

In the certain embodiments of the present invention the duration of a game is novel, in that it has been designed to be unlimited. Game play can also be limited, and the length of game play determined by the players. In one form of the present invention animal cards are traded between players to create a zoo, and a data recording device is used to record valuable information about the animals a player has collected and to monitor the progress of the game. In certain forms of the present invention the data recording device is a data sheet that allows players the ability to easily suspend game play and then resume the game at a later time. The data-recording device could also take the form of an electronic device, or a computer or software based program that is used via a monitor or display screen.

Also novel to various embodiments of the present invention are the number of collectible components that can be active in the game. Unlike most collectible card games, where a fixed number of collectible components are in play during a game turn, in various embodiments of the present invention the number of collectible components that are in play during a game turn is neither fixed or limited; thus the number of collectible components that can be involved in an auction can be unlimited or specified, where said number of collectible components may be changed during the game for any given auction, depending on specific game rules. The number of collectible components that can be in play in versions of game play featuring an Open, may also be unlimited during the Open portion of game play, and may only be restricted by the number of active game components each player has in the game. Therefore, the number of game components that can be active in game play in certain embodiments of the present invention, or in play in a game, can be unlimited. In addition, in the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the deck or cache that a player draws cards from with which to play the game can be unlimited, and can be added to at any time.

In certain embodiments of the present invention, game play is novel in having the absence of the determination of a winner, with game play specifically designed to avoid determining a winner and one or more losers. In these embodiments of the present invention the object of game play is usually the acquisition of collectible components. In certain variations of these embodiments of the present invention, game play is also somewhat unique when compared to other games, and specifically the current genre of collectable card games, in that it is designed to be non-violent, with players competing to collect game components, without attacking, destroying or eliminating another player from the game.

While the preferred format of the present invention is that of a card game, it will be readily appreciated that ownership of other items may also be transferred from one play to another by using the method described for the present invention, and more specifically with regard to game components that are auctioned through the auction process used in certain embodiments of the present invention; with said items including, inter alia, plastic or metal toys, plush toys, action figures, coins, stamps, stickers and other collectible items. In addition, game play for the present invention is also novel and applicable for game formats where physical items are not used. An example is the situation where players are part of an interactive internet based game, where a player competes with other players from around the world to collect virtual game components to add to their virtual collection.

Combining all the novel aspects of the present invention make this a truly novel form of game play for games with collectable components.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains generally to a method of game play where the exchange of ownership of certain game components occurs as a result of game play, and specifically to games where the exchange of ownership of certain game components is for components that are collectible; and where, when said exchange of ownership of said game components results as a consequence of game play, the exchange of said components is governed by rules of play that allow for the equitable exchange of said game components, herein referred to as Fair Trade Collecting Rules™.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings submitted for the present invention are representative of a version of game play involving collectible animal cards. The usage of the items displayed in the drawings is explain more fully in the DETAILED DESCRIPTION section.

FIG. 1 is representational of a female animal card in the version of game play involving the collection of animal cards. The value of the card in game play is given in the value rating box at the top right of the card. To the left of the value rating box is listed the reproductive information which is used in game play. The card also has educational information used in teaching, and a card identification number and print run for identification purposes and to determine rarity.

FIG. 1a is representational of a male animal card in the version of game play involving the collection of animal cards. The value of the card in game play is given in the value rating box at the top right of the card. The card also has educational information used in teaching, and a card identification number and print run for identification purposes and to determine rarity.

FIG. 2 is representational of a juvenile animal card in the version of game play involving the collection of animal cards. The value of the card in game play is given in the value rating box at the top right of the card. No reproductive information is listed for females because they are not old enough to reproduce. The card also has educational information used in teaching, and a card identification number and print run for identification purposes and to determine rarity.

FIG. 3 is a drawing of a Data Sheet that can be used in the version of game play involving the collection of animal cards. Similarly styled Data Sheets can be used in other versions of game play. The data sheet allows players to list their animals by using the COMMON NAME/SPECIES boxes and track how much remuneration they will receive for those animals during game play, by using the MONTHLY BUDGET boxes. Other information necessary for game play can also be recorded on the data sheet, including the progress of game play using the ‘month boxes’.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In one form, the present invention is intended as a game with game elements for two or more players. Game elements include rules of play, which include an auction process, and a multiplicity of game components, with said components available in a reservoir of multiple copies of a plurality of those components, with the game components being available through acquisition and/or trade, such that each player may obtain a collection, or cache of game components with which to play the game with other players, with game play consisting of players acquiring and/or relinquishing certain game components through said auction process, with players executing turns by selecting one or more said components from their cache and bringing one or more said components into game play by submitting them to the auction process, with said component(s) being auctioned being awarded to the winning bidder, with the winning bidder acquiring said component(s), where the winning bidder pays the bid amount to the player who submitted said components(s) to said auction process, with the auction process continuing until each component submitted to the auction process has been acquired or removed from the auction process, with the object of game play being the acquisition of game components to enhance a player's collection; with game play continuing indefinitely or until the game ends; and where the acquisition of game components is regulated by the use of Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ that provide for an equitable opportunity for every player to acquire said components.

In versions of game play where players are allowed to bid on game components they have submitted to an auction, players who purchase their own game components are required to pay their bid amount as specified in the game rules. This may require a player to, inter alia, put their bid into a game revenue pool, such as a game bank, or distribute the bid amongst the other players.

In accordance with all versions, embodiments and forms of the present invention, Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ govern the change of ownership of game components as a result of game play. Said Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ were designed to give every player a fair opportunity to acquire game components. In accordance the following aspects of Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ apply:

1) Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ require each player to submit a minimum number of game components to the auction process. Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ may also require that game length be a minimum number of auctions and/or that a minimum number of game components be submitted to each auction. Any game terminated before the prescribed mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ have been met, must hold a final auction, to ensure each player submits an equal number of game components to the auction process during the game. The type and/or quality of the game components submitted to the auction process by a player may also be mandated by Fair Trade Collecting Rules™, to insure that said player has submitted game components to the auction process that are equal or comparable in value to the game components submitted by the other players. Any player leaving game play before the prescribed mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ have been met, is required to give the auctioneer the number of game components needed for said player to reach the minimum number of game components which must be submitted to the auction process by a player.

2) Whenever a final auction is held, the number of game components a player submits to the final auction is determined by subtracting the number of game components said player has submitted to the auction process, from the required number of game components that must be submitted to the auction process by a player, as mandated by Fair Trade Collecting Rules™, with the difference being the number of game components said player submits to the final auction. Any player with a difference that is zero or less than zero, does not submit any game components to the final auction. The type and/or quality of the game components submitted to the auction process by a player may also be mandated by Fair Trade Collecting Rules™, to insure that said player has submitted game components to the auction process that are equal or comparable in value to the game components submitted by the other players.

3) Whenever a player leaves a game before the prescribed mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ have been met, said player determines the number of game components they must give the auctioneer by subtracting the number of game components said player has submitted to the auction process, from the required number of game components that must be submitted to the auction process by a player, as mandated by Fair Trade Collecting Rules™, with the difference being the number of game components said player must give the auctioneer. A difference that is zero or less than zero, means said player does not give any game components to the auctioneer. The type and/or quality of the game components submitted to the auction process by a player may also be mandated by Fair Trade Collecting Rules™, to insure that a player leaving a game has submitted game components to the auction process that are equal or comparable in value to the game components submitted by the other players. Certain rules of game play allow game components received by the auctioneer from a player leaving the game to be auctioned in a single auction, or over several auctions, at the discretion of the auctioneer. Depending of the specific rules of game play a player leaving a game may be entitled to any compensation said player would normally receive from the auctioning of their game components, with said player not needing to be present to receive said compensation.

4) Any player with the ability to acquire game components can do so through an auction or final auction, but when only one player has the ability to acquire game components, said player is allowed to do so only as long as said player distributes their purchases evenly among the other players, so that they purchase no more than one additional game component from any player(s) than they purchase from the other player(s).

5) A player leaving a game may not give duplicate game components to the auctioneer unless said duplicates are approved by a majority of the remaining players. A player may not submit duplicate game components to a final auction unless said duplicates are approved by a majority of the remaining players. Any player who cannot meet the mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™, must relinquishes game components they have acquired through the auction process, to the extent that they comply with said mandates. Depending on the rules of game play, the cards to be relinquished by said player may be determined by, inter alia, said player, the remaining players, the auctioneer or banker.

6) Any player who does not meet the requirements of Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ for the number of specified game components needed to be submitted to game play, at the time they leave a game or when a game ends, must relinquish a number of said components they have acquired from the other player(s) during the course of game play, that is equal to the number of said components they are required to submit to game play minus the number of said components they have submitted to game play. Said components may need to be of a sufficient quality and/or type as to be comparable in value to the components submitted to game play by the other players. When stated in the rules, the said components being relinquished by a player are chosen by a majority of the other players; or by the other player in a two person game. Relinquished said components may be, inter alia, returned to their original owner or reentered into game play, depending on the rules of game play. When an auction process is a part of game play, any relinquished said components resubmitted to the auction usually have the winning bid amount paid into the game revenue pool or the bank. Remuneration for the said components submitted by a player may or may not be awarded the player relinquishing the said components, depending on the rules of game play and/or the decision of a majority of the other players.

7) Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ also apply to instances where game currency is involved in game play, to the extent that they facilitate a fair and equitable way to maintain the integrity of the acquisition of certain game components during game play and the distribution of game currency once the game has ended. Additionally, because game currency is used in certain forms of the present invention in the acquisition of said game components, the value of said currency during game play must not be diminished and/or compromised. As such, players may be required to add additional game currency to game play, either to a communal entity, such as a game bank, or to their own currency that is in game play. In certain forms of the present invention, where game rules prescribe the formation of a communal entity for the distribution of monetary payments to game players, where players receive monetary renumeration for certain said game pieces which they possess in game play, said renumeration may be restricted, limited and or fixed once said communal entity runs out of game currency. When said communal entity does run out of said currency, it may be required that one or more game players add more game currency to said communal entity; or said players may be allowed to pay themselves for any remunerations they are entitled to as a result of certain game components they possess in game play. The amount of said remuneration may also be limited and/or fixed once game play has reached a certain length of play, and/or the communal entity responsible for dispersing player remunerations, runs out of game currency. Additionally, when players are restricted to a specific number of game components for which they can receive remuneration said players may be able to exchange one or more of said specific game components for other game components they have in game play. Because of the need to maintain the integrity of game play and/or the open nature of the present invention, the amount of game currency a player may have in and/or add to game play, as well as the frequency and/or timing said currency can be added to game play, may be unlimited and/or unrestricted in certain forms of the present invention. It should be noted that maintaining the purchasing power of game currency during game play, to allow the fair and equitable exchange of certain game components, that may be purchased using said currency, is the intent of Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ governing game rules for game currency.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, the auction process is the method by which certain game components are brought into game play, either directly or indirectly.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention the auction process is run by one person, where said person may be a player or someone not playing the game. Said person is chosen by a majority vote of players and said person may be replaced at anytime by a majority vote of players. When a player is selected to run the auction process, said player is allowed to participate in the auction process and bid on items offered through the auction process, just like other players.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, all players create a game bank before the start of game play, with all players contributing equally to the game bank.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, a banker is chosen at the beginning of game play to collect and distribute funds from the game bank and/or to run the auction process. The banker may be a player or someone not playing the game. The banker is chosen by a majority vote of players and may be replaced at anytime by a majority vote of players. When a player is selected to be the banker, said player is allowed to participate in the auction process and bid on items offered through the auction process, just like other players.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, the banker and the auctioneer may be the same person.

In accordance with certain forms of the aforementioned auction process, said auction process consist of a method of the auctioneer selecting a specific game component or components that have been submitted to the auction process and offering said component(s) for sale. Game players then bid on the game component(s) being offered for sale with the auctioneer taking bids from all players until a winning bidder is determined, with acquisition of said component(s) going to said bidder.

In accordance with certain forms of the aforementioned auction process, the auction process may consist of two parts: where the first part is a private purchase, which provides a method by which a player can acquire one of the game components they have submitted to the auction process by paying a fee to the game bank; where the second part of the auction is a public auction, where all players may bid on game components submitted to said auction, with the winning bidder paying the bid amount to the player who submitted the game component to the auction and an auction fee to the bank. If the player who submitted the game component to the auction is the winning bidder, said player pays the bid amount to the bank, as well as an auction fee.

In accordance with certain forms of the aforementioned auction process, the number of game components submitted to the auction may be:

a) a fixed, mandatory number that remains constant throughout the course of game play, wherein the same specified number of game components must be submitted to the auction process for each game turn; b) a variable, mandatory number that changes during the course of game play, wherein a specified number of game components must be submitted to the auction process for a given turn, but where that specified number may change for any given game turn; c) a fixed, non-mandatory number that remains constant throughout the course of game play, wherein a specified number of game components may be submitted to the auction process for each turn, but where the specified number is not mandatory, and where the number of game components submitted to the auction process may be equal to or less than that specified number; d) a non-fixed, non-mandatory number that varies during the course of game play, wherein a specified number of game components may be submitted to the auction process for a given turn, but where that specified number may change for any given turn, and where that specified number is not mandatory, and where the number of game components submitted to the auction process may be equal to or less than that specified number; e) an unrestricted number, where players can submit as many game components to the auction process as they like.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, the steps of executing a turn consist of the auction process followed by an interactive event phase or Open. During an Open players may, inter alia:

a) interact with other players to acquire or relinquish game components, b) interact with other players to exercise or activate the abilities of game components, c) exercise or activate the abilities of their game components, d) construct agreements or barter deals with other players, in accordance with the rules of the game, and e) bring additional game components into game play as a result of: 1) interactions between game components, 2) the activation and/or usage of the abilities of game components, 3) the need to replenish game components, or 4) the allowance and/or requirements of the rules of play.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, in games with two part turns, where a turn consists of an auction and an Open, the auction process may be held after the Open, suspended for a given turn or turns, or held at regular intervals other than once per turn. This may be done to facilitate certain aspects of game play that are available to players when no game components are submitted to the auction process.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, players execute their turns simultaneously.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, a player may choose not to participate in a given auction process.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, a player may choose to submit a number of game components to the auction process that is less than a specified number or is less than the minimum number required. When either happens certain aspects of game play may be unavailable to players who do not submit a specified minimum or required number of game components to the auction process, with those aspects of game play being, inter alia: the ability to acquire game components in the auction and/or the ability to permanently keep game components that have been acquired from other players during game play.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, an auction fee is paid to the bank for game component sold at auctions, with said auction fee being paid by the winning bidder.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, certain game components are exchanged for other game components during the course of game play as a result of the information listed on game components and/or as a result of the abilities of game components to interact. Game components which are exchanged are placed in a player's cache and replaced with the appropriate game component from said player's cache.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, game components may be removed from game play as a result of, inter alia, the information listed on them, other game components and/or specifications of the rules of game play. When a game component is removed from game play it is placed in the owner's cache.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, the number of game components a player can have in their cache is unlimited.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, the number of game components that can be in game play, or that a player can have in game play, is unlimited.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, the duration of game play can be of any length. This is a result of the playing structure of the present invention, which allows players to play a game indefinitely, or to choose to limit the length of game play.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, a data recording method and/or device is used in game play, where the data recording method and/or device may be used to, inter alia:

a) record the number, type and/or name of certain game components a player posses, b) record the value of certain game components within game play, c) record information which is indicated on the game components, d) track, monitor and/or manage game components, e) track and/or monitor the progress and/or flow of game play, f) track and/or monitor the abilities and/or functionality of certain game components during game play, and/or g) provide a way to determine compensation for players as prescribed by game play.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, the use of a data recording method and/or device allows for suspension and resumption of game play.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, game play is designed so that players may be added or removed from game play, while maintaining the overall continuity of game play.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, game play does not result in the determination of a winner. In this aspect of the present invention the objective of game play is primarily the acquisition of game components. This aspect of game play removes the negatives of having loosing players and creates a more enjoyable playing experience for all players.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, game play is designed as an interactive, trading process between players, that can continue indefinitely, focusing on the aspects of game play and the collecting of game components, without having the determination of a winner.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, game play does not result in the removal of a player from game play, as might happen in other games as a result of said player being defeated by another player or players. In this aspect of the present invention players do not attack one another or attempt to defeat one another. This provides players with a non-violent gaming experience and removes negative aspects such as, inter alia, loosing, game violence and/or combat. Game play of this kind creates a more enjoyable playing experience for all players.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, game components have educational information printed on them. This information is specifically designed for educational purposes and for use in an educational environment. In this form of the present invention, instructional materials may be provided to educators.

In accordance with a certain forms of the present invention, certain game components have information on them, or specified for them, which may include indicia, and may consist of, but is not limited to, the following:

a) abilities of the game component, and how they interact with other game components with respect to said abilities, with certain game components possessing the ability to bring additional game components into game play as a result of these abilities, b) the value, and/or strength, of the game component as it pertains to game play, c) the value of the game component as it pertains to collectibility, d) production run information, e) imagery or a picture, f) information about the imagery or the thing pictured, g) information that describes and/or determines how the game component functions and/or acts in game play, h) the rarity of the game component and/or the thing pictured.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, the abilities of certain game components may be determined and/or activated by the roll of a die and/or other game components.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, game play make take the form of an electronic game played on, inter alia, the internet, a computer, a video device or home entertainment system, where game components may take the form of, inter alia, virtual and/or digital images.

In accordance with certain forms of the present invention, game play may be modified by adding advanced rules. Advanced rules are designed to expand the scope and capabilities of game play, while adding more realism and enjoyment to the gaming experience. Players may add one, several or all advanced rules of game play.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the invention is a collectible card game for two or more players, having rules for game play that include an auction in which game components are acquired by players; with hand-held cards being available in a reservoir of multiple copies of a plurality of those hand-held cards, with each player constructing their own collection of cards by acquiring those components from the reservoir of those cards, with each card having a playing face; with said cards being comprised of different animal species or subspecies that have the ability to interact with other animal cards of the same species or subspecies, with players engaging in a competition to collect animals and create their own zoo and/or animal card collection. In this embodiment of the present invention players do not battle one another to eliminate other players from the game. Instead, players engage in a collection process to add animals to their zoo and/or card collection, by interacting with other players, thereby facilitating the growth and improvement of their zoo and/or card collection. Game components consist of cards having a playing face on one side, game cash, data sheets, a die and rules of game play; educational information and/or teaching aids may also be included.

In this embodiment of the present invention the cards a player uses to play a game are called a cache, where a player's cache is a library, or collection of cards from which they may take cards for use in play game. The size of a cache a player can use for game play is unlimited, but a minimum of 36 cards is suggested for normal game play, and cards a player acquires outside of game play can be added to a player's cache at any time to be used during game play. Player's are advised to hide the cards in their cache from other players to improve their tactical advantage in securing cards. Cards in a player's cache are not in game play.

In this embodiment of the present invention, players obtain cards in three basic ways:

1) by purchasing them from manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, collectors or other players; 2) by trading cards with suppliers, retailers, collectors, or other players; and 3) through game play.

This embodiment of the present invention was designed to be a true trading card game, with the cards a player acquires during a game becoming that player's cards at the moment of acquisition during game play. Game rules also allow players the option of retaining ownership of the cards they submitted to game play if they do not want to trade cards as a result of game play. When players do not want to exchange ownership of cards as a result of game play, all players agree to keep the cards that are in their animal cache at the start of the game, and cards are returned to their original owner when the game ends.

In this embodiment of the present invention, players determine before the start of game play, if cards acquired during game play become the property of the player that acquires them during game play.

In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, whenever players determine before the start of game play, that cards held by a player during and/or after game play are owned by the player that holds said cards, Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ govern game play protocol, where said rules require each player submit a minimum number of cards to the auction process and game length be a minimum number of auctions; where the minimum number of collectible cards a player must submit to the auction process during game play is 18 and where the minimum number of auctions is 6; where the following Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ apply:

1) any game terminated before the prescribed mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ have been met, must hold a final auction, to ensure each player submits an equal number of cards to the auction process during the game; and where any player leaving game play before the prescribed mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ have been met, is required to give the banker the number of cards needed for said player to reach the minimum number of cards which must be submitted to the auction process by a player; 2) whenever a final auction is held, the number of cards a player submits to the final auction is determined by subtracting the number of cards said player has submitted to the auction process, from the required number of cards that must be submitted to the auction process by a player, as mandated by Fair Trade Collecting Rules™, with the difference being the number of cards said player submits to the final auction; 3) a player may not submit duplicate cards to a final auction unless said duplicate cards are approved by a majority of the other players; where any player with a difference that is zero or less than zero, does not submit any cards to the final auction; 4) whenever a player leaves a game before the prescribed mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ have been met, said player determines the number of cards they must give the banker by subtracting the number of cards said player has submitted to the auction process, from the required number of cards that must be submitted to the auction process by a player, as mandated by Fair Trade Collecting Rules™, with the difference being the number of cards said player must give the banker; 5) a player leaving a game may not give duplicate cards to the banker unless said duplicate cards are approved by a majority of the remaining players; where a difference that is zero or less than zero, means said player does not give any cards to the banker; 6) cards received by the banker from a player or players leaving the game can be auctioned in a single auction, or over several auctions, at the discretion of the banker; 7) a player leaving a game is entitled to any compensation said player would normally receive from the auctioning of their cards, with said player not needing to be present to receive said compensation; 8) any player who cannot meet the mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™, must relinquishes cards they have acquired through the auction process, to the extent that they comply with said mandates; and unless the rules state otherwise, relinquished cards resold at auction have there purchase price paid to the bank instead of the player who submitted the relinquished cards; 9) any player(s) with game cash can acquire cards through an auction or final auction, but when only one player has the ability to acquire cards, said player is allowed to do so only as long as said player distributes their purchases evenly among the other players, so that they purchase no more than one additional card from any player(s) than they purchase from the other player(s); 10) any player who has not met the requirements of Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ for the number of cards needed to be submitted to game play, at the time they leave a game or when a game ends, must relinquish a number of cards they have acquired from the other player(s) during the course of game play, that is equal to the number of cards they are required to submit to game play minus the number of cards they have submitted to game play; where when stated in the rules, the cards being relinquished by a player are chosen by a majority of the other players, or by the other player in a two person game; and where 11) remuneration for the collectible components submitted by a player may or may not be awarded the player relinquishing the cards, depending on the rules of game play and/or the decision of a majority of the other players; where when game rules state that a player is not paid the purchase price for the cards they have relinquished, said relinquished cards resold at auction have there purchase price paid to the bank.

Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ also apply to the use of game currency used in certain embodiments of the present invention, by facilitating the fair and equitable acquisition of certain game components (cards in this embodiment of the present invention) during game play, the addition of additional amounts of game currency during game play and the distribution of game currency once the game has ended. In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention players are required to add additional game currency to game play, either to the game bank, or to their own currency that is in game play, once the bank runs out of currency. Renumeration players receive for certain game components (cards in this embodiment of the present invention) they have in game play is restricted once the bank runs out of game currency or game play reaches a thirteenth turn; whichever occurs first. When this occurs players select 18 said components for which they will receive remuneration.

A player may change the make up of said 18 components at the beginning of any turn thereafter. In the current embodiment of the present invention players are also required to add additional game currency to the bank. The amount to be added is determined by a majority vote of the game players. Ties are broken by the banker. Each player adds the same amount of game currency to the bank, with the minimum total amount added to the bank being double to the amount the bank paid out the previous turn.

In certain embodiments of the present invention players do not add additional game currency to the bank. Instead any additional game cash they add to game play goes to pay remuneration owed them by the bank, with each player responsible for paying themselves for the amount they are owed. In said embodiment of the present invention, at least one additional player must oversee the payment a player makes to themselves.

In certain embodiments of the present invention the amount of game currency a player may have in and/or add to game play, as well as the frequency and/or timing said currency can be added to game play, may be unlimited and/or unrestricted.

In the current embodiment of the present invention, players are free to add additional game currency to the currency they have in game play anytime the bank is unable to pay the cost of any remuneration owed them for the current turn. The amount of currency added may not exceed the amount owed them by the bank and must be overseen and/or confirmed by at least one additional player.

In accordance with another aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, any player leaving a game where the ownership of cards changes as the result of game play, after the prescribed mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ have been met, owns all the cards they have acquired in accordance with game rules; but is not entitled to take any game cash from the game bank.

In this embodiment of the present invention, Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ require that any card held by a player, that is on loan from another player and/or that has not been acquired in accordance with game rules, is to be returned to the owner of said card at the end of game play or when the owner leaves game play.

In this embodiment of the present invention, when a game ends each player owns the cards in their zoo and any cash in the bank is divided evenly among the players. Any cards a player collects during game play can be used to build that player's cache, which can be used to play future games. There are no winners or losers; with the object of game play being collecting cards.

In this embodiment of the present invention, determining a winner is not the object of game play, but in the event that players wish to determine a winner, the winner is the player with the highest adjusted Monthly Budget when the game ends; where to obtain a player's adjusted Monthly Budget the following is done:

a) a player divides their cash by 10 and adds that amount to their Monthly Budget, b) a player considers all pregnant females in their possession to have given birth when a game ends and adds the value ratings of all the babies born to their current Monthly Budget total for the final game turn, c) a player collects any future cash gains due a player from bartered agreements and said cash is divided by 10 and added to said player's Monthly Budget, and d) any future animal acquisitions due a player from bartered agreements, are immediately transferred to said player, and the current value rating of said animals is added to said player's Monthly Budget; where the player with the highest adjusted Monthly Budget is the winner.

In accordance with another aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, whenever a game ends where the ownership of cards does not change as the result of game play, players collect the cards and cash that they submitted to game play.

In the current embodiment of the present invention, game play consists of two part turns that have an auction, known as the Animal Auction, and an interactive, or Open session; where the Open portion of a turn usually occurs after the Animal Auction portion of a turn, but where an Animal Auction may be skipped if no animals are offered for auction for a given turn.

In this embodiment of the present invention, cards in a player's cache enter game play by being acquired through the Animal Auction, or during the Open portion of a turn as the result of a female giving birth, or when a player exchanges an adult card for a subadult card, as provide for in the rules of play. In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, the Animal Auction is the primary means by which cards enter game play, with adult cards in a player's cache only entering game play through the Animal Auction, or during the Open session as the result of a subadult becoming an adult, whereby the subadult card is exchanged for an adult card in a player's cache; and where subadult cards can only enter game play through the Animal Auction as juveniles.

In accordance with another aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, cards in the Animal Auction are purchased using game cash.

In this embodiment of the present invention, before the start of game play, players choose someone to be the banker for the first turn. The banker can be one of the game players or someone who is not playing the game. Anytime after the first turn, another person can be chosen to be the banker by a majority vote of the players. A banker remains the banker until they resign the position or they are removed by a vote of the players. After a banker is chosen, a bank is created before the start of game play. The banker oversees the creation of the bank by collecting a zoo creation fee from each player (which includes the banker if the banker is playing the game), with said fee being one million dollars in game cash. After paying the zoo creation fee each player, including the banker (if the banker is playing the game) counts out one million dollars in game cash to use as their spending money during game play. Spending money is used to buy animals in the auction, make deals with other players and pay various game fees to the bank. Money in the bank is used to pay players during the game and is not the property of the banker, or any player, and cannot be used for personal use by the banker or any player.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the banker collects all fees and/or payments owed the bank and deposits them into the bank. The banker keeps track of any unpaid fees, with those fees being carried forward to subsequent turns. The banker makes all payments from the bank to players. The banker has final say in resolving disputes or determining game protocol. When the banker is a player, other than their job as banker, they play the game like any other player.

In this embodiment of the present invention, players may be required to pay the bank for, inter alia:

a) a zoo creation fee, b) zoological association fees, c) auction fees, d) breeding fees, e) carrying fees, f) fees for creating genetic groups exhibits, and g) fees for releasing animals to the wild; with the description of these fees being as follows: a) the zoo creation fee is a one time fee, where said fee is paid before or at the start of game play, and where said fee is used to create the game bank; and where money in the bank is used to pay players during game play; b) the zoological association fee is a turn based fee, with said fee being paid at the beginning of each turn, where the first part of each turn may be an auction or an Open; where every player must pay said fee; where nonpayment of said fee by a player restricts the abilities of that player, where said restrictions prevent a player from bidding on animals submitted to the auction; where nonpayment of said fee by a player results in said fee being deducted from moneys paid that player, and where the nonpayment of said fee or any balance thereof is carried forward in game play until paid; c) an auction fee, is paid for every animal sold at auction, with said fee being paid by the player purchasing an animal sold at auction, where said fee is 10% of the purchase price of the animal, and where nonpayment of said fee for a given animal would require the animal be sold to the next highest bidder; d) a breeding fee is paid to breed a female, where said fee is the value rating of the female being bred; where said fee is required to be paid each time you breed a female; where said fee must be paid before you can breed a female; where said fee is paid during the Open portion of a turn; and where the inability to pay said fee for a female prevents the breeding of that female; e) carrying fees may be paid by a player, as a result of having too many animals; where said fee is paid for having animals in excess of the number allowed by game rules for any given species; where said fee is a turn based fee; where said fee is the value rating of the animal; where said fee is be paid during the Open portion of a turn; and where said fee is deducted from any payments a player receives from the bank if that player cannot pay said fee; f) fees for creating genetic groups exhibits are paid by a player for the creation of a genetic group; where said fee is charged for any genetic groups in excess of one, of a given species; where said fee is a one time fee for each genetic group, requiring payment of said fee; where nonpayment of the fee prohibits the formation of an additional genetic group of a given species; and where said fee is paid during the Open portion of a turn; and g) fees for releasing animals to the wild may be paid by players to avoid financial penalties, where said penalties are called carrying fees, and where said fee is paid during the Open portion of a turn.

In accordance with another aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, at the beginning of each turn, each player pays the bank a $20,000 zoological association fee, which is also paid by the banker if they are playing the game; where the zoological association fee is $20,000 per turn, but where the banker can increase (or decrease) that amount at the beginning of any turn; where the zoological association fee increases can be permanent or temporary, at the discretion of the banker; where if a player cannot pay said zoological association fee for a given turn, said player cannot buy or bid on animals during the Animal Auction for that turn, but where said player can still sell animals in the public portion of the Animal Auction, with any proceeds from the sale of animals being deducted from the zoological association fee owed by said player, until said fee has been paid in full; where if said fee has not been paid in full by the end of the auction, any cash owed the bank is deducted from said player's Monthly Budget; and where the banker keeps track of any unpaid fees and those fees are carried forward to subsequent turns.

In this embodiment of the present invention the bank pays players for the animals they have collected during game play, with said payment being paid once per turn; and where the amount paid a player by the bank is determined by the sum of the value ratings of the animal cards said player has in game play during that turn; and where the value rating of a card may either be added to, or subtracted from, the total amount paid to a player; and where the amount paid a player is said player's Monthly Budget as listed on said player's data sheet for a given turn; and where the amount paid a player occurs at the end of the Open portion of a turn.

In accordance with another aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, should the bank run out of money the banker may choose to create bank notes or increase fees, where bank notes issued to players may be used as cash during game play; or players may choose to add money to the bank; where when adding money to the bank each player must add the same amount; where players vote to determine if they will add money to the bank and the amount of money that will be added; where money added to the bank can be game cash that is currently in game play or it can be money not currently in game play; where players are allowed to sell cards raise the necessary money.

In this embodiment of the present invention, there are 2 basic types of cards:

a) adult cards, which are either male or female (see FIG. 1), with adult female cards being the only cards that contain breeding information (see FIGS. 1: 12 a, 12 b, 13 a, 13 b, 14 a and 14 b), and b) subadult cards, which are either male or female (see FIG. 2).

In this embodiment of the present invention, all cards have value ratings on them, with adult cards having one value rating (VR number) on them (see FIG. 1: 2) and subadult cards can having one or two value ratings (see FIGS. 2: 2 a and 2 b). The value rating is how much a card is worth in game play, with each point worth one game cash dollar. The higher the value rating, the more valuable the card is.

In this embodiment of the present invention, adult cards have information on them, consisting of, inter alia:

1 a) a value rating (see FIG. 1: 2), 1 b) the adult life stage length (see FIG. 1: 4), 1 c) the animal's sex (see FIG. 1: 7), 1 d) the animal's common name (see FIG. 1: 6), 1 e) the animal's scientific, or species, name (see FIG. 1: 8 a), 1 f) a picture of the animal (see FIG. 1: 5), 1 g) the class to which the animal belongs (see FIG. 1: 8 b), 1 h) the family to which the animal belongs (see FIG. 1: 8 c), 1 i) the animal's size (see FIG. 1: 8 e), 1 j) the animal's diet (see FIG. 1: 8 d), 1 k) the population of the animal species or subspecies (see FIG. 1: 8 f), 1 l) the endangered status of the animal (see FIG. 1: 8 g), 1 m) the range of the animal species or subspecies (see FIG. 2: 8 i) 1 n) a range map of the animal's distribution in the wild (see FIG. 1: 8 j), 1 o) the animal's habitat (see FIG. 1: 8 k), 1 p) a size diagram (see FIG. 1: 8 h), 1 q) factoid notes about the animal (see FIGS. 1: 8 l), and 1 r) the card production run information, which may include the card print run (see FIG. 1: 11), the card collection (see FIG. 1: 10) and the card identfication number (see FIG. 1: 9); where the information on said cards is described as follows: 1 a) the value rating, also known as the value rating number or VR number, and is designated by the letters “VR” on a card, equates to the value of the card in game play; where the value rating number indicates the amount of compensation a player receives for possessing the card in game play; where that compensation takes the form of game cash, where each point is worth one game dollar; 1 b) the adult life stage length, indicates the maximum length of time the animal lives as an adult; and where that length of time is designated by the letter “A” followed by a number, where said number is the length of time the card can remain in game play; and where said time equates to game turns, which may be defined as months in game play, and where the adult life stage length number is the number of turns that an adult card can remain in game play before it dies; 1 c) the animal's sex is indicated on the card; and where said indication is given as either “male” or “female”; 1 d) the animal's common name is indicated on the card; and where that name may be one that is commonly used by the general populace and/or scientific community as the common nomenclature for the animal; 1 e) the animal's scientific and/or species name is given, using accepted scientific nomenclature; where said nomenclature is the name of the animal in Latin, and where the species nomenclature of an animal is given as a two word Latin designation, where the first word indicates the genus of the animal and the second word indicates the species of the animal; and where the subspecies nomenclature of an animal is given as a three word Latin designation, where the first word indicates the genus of the animal, the second word indicates the species of the animal and the third word indicates the subspecies of the animal; 1 f) a picture of the animal is displayed on the front of the card; and where said picture is of an adult animal; 1 g) the class to which the animal belongs is indicated on the card; and where said class is the commonly accepted scientific classification for the animal; and where that classification may include, but is not limited to, the following: mammals, reptiles, fish, birds, amphibians, insects, arthropods and dinosaurs; 1 h) the family to which the animal belongs is indicated on the card; and where said family is the commonly accepted scientific family classification for that animal; 1 i) the animal's size is indicated, where said size may include the height, length and weight measurements of the animal; and where those measurements may be the extremes to which the animal may grow, or a general size range into which most animals fit, or a size range that indicates the widest range of sizes found for that particular species or subspecies; 1 j) the animal's diet is described, where said diet information may be general or specific in nature; and where the animal is classified as either a herbivore, a carnivore or an omnivore; 1 k) the population of the animal species or subspecies is estimated, where said estimation is the best information available; and where the population of the animal may be an estimate of the total number of animals thought to exists in the wild and/or in captivity; and where no number may be given if adequate information on the population of the animal is unavailable, or if the animal is extinct, and where, in such cases, text may be used to indicate the population as, inter alia, “unknown”, “unavailable” or “extinct”. 1 l) the endangered status of the animal is given; and where that status may be indicated by a text designation, where said text designation may be one of the following: extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, near threatened and least concern; and where the endangered status may be indicated by a symbol, where said symbol is a circle containing a two letter code; where said code consists of the following: EX for extinct, EW for extinct in the wild, CR for critically endangered, EN for endangered, VU for vulnerable, NT for near threatened, and LC for least concern; and where said text designations and/or symbols may be color coded; and where the endangered status of the animal may be indicated by both a text designation and a symbol, as previously described; 1 m) the range of the animal species or subspecies may be given: where said range is a listing of the geographical area(s) and/or country or countries where the animal can be found; 1 n) a range map of the animal's distribution in the wild may be given; and where said range map indicates the best estimate of the animal's distribution in the wild; 1 o) the animal's habitat is given, where said habitat is a brief description of the type of environment the animal generally inhabits and/or prefers; 1 p) a size diagram may be shown on the card, where said diagram will show an animal's size compared to a person or object; where said diagram may show the extreme largeness or smallness of the animal: 1 q) factoid notes about the animal are printed on the card; where said factoids may be interesting bits of information and/or facts about the animal; and where said factoids may come under the heading of “Notes” on the card; and 1 r) the card production run information may be indicated on the card; and where said information may include the card's print run, the name of the collection to which the card belongs and the card identfication number; where the print run is designated by the letter “P” followed by a number, where “P” stands for “print run” and the number indicates the print run; and where the card collection may be identified by a text designation for a grouping of similar cards, and where said designation may be geographical in nature, and may include text designations such as, inter alia, “African Card Collection”, “Asian Card Collection”, “Australian Collection”, “North American Collection”, “South American Collection”, “European Collection” and “Polar Collection”; and where the card identfication number may be a sequence of numbers and/or letters, that identifies a specific card, where said card identfication number may be, inter alia, a two letter code, indicating the collection, followed by a letter and number, indicating the set number, followed by two numbers that indicate which number the card is in said set, followed two numbers that indicate the number of cards that are in said set; and where the card number may be a means of identifying the value and/or rarity of an individual card; where adult female cards may have additional breeding information on them, with said breeding information including, inter alia: 2 a) frequency (see FIG. 1: 12 a), 2 b) the frequency number (see FIG. 1: 12 b), 2 c) gestation period (see FIG. 1: 13 a), 2 d) the gestation number (see FIG. 1: 13 b), 2 e) litter size (see FIG. 1: 14 a), 2 f) litter number (see FIG. 1: 14 b), and in some cases 2 g) the reproductive age limit; where said breeding information is described as follows: 2 a) frequency is designated by the letter “F” on the adult female card and indicates how frequently or easily a female becomes pregnant; 2 b) the frequency number on a female's card is the largest number a player can roll on a die to have said female become pregnant; 2 c) gestation period is designated by the letter “G” and indicates how long a female's pregnancy lasts in game turns (months); 2 d) the gestation number is the number of game turns (months) that must elapse before the female gives birth; 2 e) litter size, is designated by the letter “L”; 2 f) the litter number is the number of births possible for a female for a single pregnancy; where the number of babies born is determined by the roll of a die; where a die roll equal to or greater than said number means said number of babies are born, and where a die roll less than said number is the number of babies born; 2 g) the reproductive age limit indicates the age at which a female can no longer be bred; and where the reproductive age limit is indicated by a number following the letter “R” on the card of an adult female; and where said number is the number of game turns that must elapse before a female can no longer be bred; where female animals which cannot be bred in captivity will have no reproductive information on their card.

In this embodiment of the present invention, subadult cards have information on them, with that information consisting of, inter alia:

3 a) a value rating, or ratings (see FIGS. 2: 2 a and 2 b), 3 b) a baby life stage length (see FIG. 2: 3 b) and/or juvenile life stage length (see FIG. 2: 4 b), 3 c) the animal's sex (see FIG. 2: 7), 3 d) the animal's common name (see FIG. 2: 6), 3 e) the animal's scientific, or species, name (see FIG. 2: 8 a), 3 f) a picture of the animal (see FIG. 2: 5), 3 g) the class to which the animal belongs (see FIG. 2: 8 b), 3 h) the family to which the animal belongs (see FIG. 2: 8 c), 3 i) the animal's size (see FIG. 2: 8 e), 3 j) the animal's diet (see FIG. 2: 8 d), 3 k) the population of the animal species or subspecies (see FIG. 2: 8 f), 3 l) the endangered status of the animal (see FIG. 2: 8 g), 3 m) the range of the animal species or subspecies (see FIG. 2: 8 i) 3 n) a range map of the animal's distribution in the wild (see FIG. 2: 8 j), 3 o) the animal's habitat (see FIG. 2: 8 k), 3 p) a size diagram (see FIG. 2: 8 h), 3 q) factoid notes about the animal (see FIG. 2: 8 l), 3 r) the card production run information, which may include the card print run (see FIG. 2: 11), the card collection (see FIG. 2: 10) and the card identfication number (see FIGS. 2: 9), and 3 s) in some cases, the weaning age of the animal; which is the age at which an animal is no longer dependant on its mother; where the information on said cards is described as follows: 3 a) the value rating, which may also be known as the value rating number or VR number, and which may be designated by the letters “VR” on a card, is a number that equates to the value of the card in game play; and where two value ratings are present on one card, one value rating will be for the animal while it is a baby and the second value rating will be for the animal while it is a juvenile, where a row with a letter “B” indicates the value rating of a baby and where a row with a letter “J” indicates the value rating of a juvenile; and where when only value rating is listed on a card, it indicates the value rating for both the baby and juvenile or whichever life stage (baby or juvenile) is listed on the card; and where the value rating number, or VR number, indicates the amount of compensation a player receives for possessing that card in game play; and where that compensation may take the form of game cash; and where said game cash is distributed to the player that possesses the card during game play; 3 b) a baby and/or juvenile life stage length may be present on the card; where when the baby life stage length is present on the card, it is designated by the letter “B” followed by a number; and where said number is the length of time an animal remains a baby in game play; and where the number equates to game turns; and where said turns are defined as months in game play; and where the baby life stage length is the number of turns the animal on the card is a baby in game play; where when the juvenile life stage length is present on the card, it is designated by the letter “J” followed by a number; and where said number is the length of time an animal remains a juvenile in game play; and where the number equates to game turns; and where said turns may be defined as months in game play; and where the baby life stage length is the number of turns the animal on the card is a juvenile in game play; 3 c) the animal's sex is indicated on the card; and where said indication is given as either “male” or “female”; 3 d) the animal's common name is indicated on the card; and where that name may be one that is commonly used by the general populace and/or scientific community as the common nomenclature for the animal; 3 e) the animal's scientific and/or species name is given, using accepted scientific nomenclature; where said nomenclature is the name of the animal in Latin, and where the species nomenclature of an animal is given as a two word Latin designation, where the first word indicates the genus of the animal and the second word indicates the species of the animal; and where the subspecies nomenclature of an animal is given as a three word Latin designation, where the first word indicates the genus of the animal, the second word indicates the species of the animal and the third word indicates the subspecies of the animal; 3 f) a picture of the animal is displayed on the front of the card; and where said picture is of an adult animal; 3 g) the class to which the animal belongs is indicated on the card; and where said class is the commonly accepted scientific classification for the animal; and where that classification may include, but is not limited to, the following: mammals, reptiles, fish, birds, amphibians, insects, arthropods and dinosaurs; 3 h) the family to which the animal belongs is indicated on the card; and where said family is the commonly accepted scientific family classification for that animal; 3 i) the animal's size is indicated, where said size may include the height, length and weight measurements of the animal; and where those measurements may be the extremes to which the animal may grow, or a general size range into which most animals fit, or a size range that indicates the widest range of sizes found for that particular species or subspecies; 3 j) the animal's diet is described, where said diet information may be general or specific in nature; and where the animal is classified as either a herbivore, a carnivore or an omnivore; 3 k) the population of the animal species or subspecies is estimated, where said estimation is the best information available; and where the population of the animal may be an estimate of the total number of animals thought to exists in the wild and/or in captivity; and where no number may be given if adequate information on the population of the animal is unavailable, or if the animal is extinct, and where, in such cases, text may be used to indicate the population as, inter alia, “unknown”, “unavailable” or “extinct”; 3 l) the endangered status of the animal is given; and where that status may be indicated by a text designation, where said text designation may be one of the following: extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, near threatened and least concern; and where the endangered status may be indicated by a symbol, where said symbol is a circle containing a two letter code; where said code consists of the following: EX for extinct, EW for extinct in the wild, CR for critically endangered, EN for endangered, VU for vulnerable, NT for near threatened, and LC for least concern; and where said text designations and/or symbols may be color coded; and where the endangered status of the animal may be indicated by both a text designation and a symbol, as previously described; 3 m) the range of the animal species or subspecies may be given: where said range is a listing of the geographical area(s) and/or country or countries where the animal can be found; 3 n) a range map of the animal's distribution in the wild may be given; and where said range map indicates the best estimate of the animal's distribution in the wild; 3 o) the animal's habitat is given, where said habitat is a brief description of the type of environment the animal generally inhabits and/or prefers; 3 p) a size diagram may be shown on the card, where said diagram will show an animal's size compared to a person or object; where said diagram may show the extreme largeness or smallness of the animal; 3 q) factoid notes about the animal are printed on the card; where said factoids may be interesting bits of information and/or facts about the animal; and where said factoids may come under the heading of “Notes” on the card; 3 r) the card production run information may be indicated on the card; and where said information may include the card's print run, the name of the collection to which the card belongs and the card identfication number; where the print run is designated by the letter “P” followed by a number, where “P” stands for “print run” and the number indicates the print run; and where the card collection may be identified by a text designation for a grouping of similar cards, and where said designation may be geographical in nature, and may include text designations such as, inter alia, “African Card Collection”, “Asian Card Collection”, “Australian Collection”, “North American Collection”, “South American Collection”, “European Collection” and “Polar Collection”; and where the card identfication number may be a sequence of numbers and/or letters, that identifies a specific card, where said card identfication number may be, inter alia, a two letter code, indicating the collection, followed by a letter and number, indicating the set number, followed by two numbers that indicate which number the card is in said set, followed two numbers that indicate the number of cards that are in said set; and where the card number may be a means of identifying the value and/or rarity of an individual card; 3 s) a weaning age may be indicated on a subadult card; where said age is the age a baby is no longer dependent on its mother; and where present on the card, it may be designated by the letter “W” followed by a number; and where said number is a measure of the length of time that must pass before an animal is no longer dependent on its mother; and where the number equates to game turns; and where said turns are defined as months in game play; and where the weaning age is the number of turns that must elapse in game play before the baby is no longer dependent on its mother.

In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, game play starts with the holding of an Animal Auction. The Animal Auction portion of a turn consists of two parts; a private purchase and a public auction; where the following applies:

a) players may submit cards in their possession to one or both parts of the Animal Auction portion of a turn; b) at the start of the Animal Auction players select one or more cards from their card cache, up to the maximum number specified by the banker at the beginning of the turn, and places the card(s) face up in front of them, which the banker then sells through the private purchase or public auction; where the number of cards that can be submitted to the auction depends upon which rules are being used for game play; where under basic or Elementary Rules of play, three cards per player may be submitted to the Animal Auction, with any player submitting three cards to the Animal Auction being able to purchase one of those cards through the private purchase; c) the banker starts the Animal Auction by holding the private purchase; where the private purchase portion of the Animal Auction allows any player that has submitted a specified number of cards to the auction (with that number being three under Elementary Rules) to buy one of said cards without other players being able to bid on that card, with the price of the card being a set and/or predetermined price, with that price being ten times the value rating of the card; where if a player cannot pay for the card they have submitted to the private purchase, the card is auctioned off at the public auction; d) after the completion of the private purchase portion of the Animal Auction, the banker starts the public auction; with the public auction allowing all game players the opportunity to bid on any card submitted to the public auction; where the banker chooses a card, or cards, which have been offered for sale and places the card(s) being auctioned in the center of the playing area, or displays the card(s) in a manner so that all players can see the card(s); where bidding starts at the value rating of the card(s), with the card(s) being sold to the highest bidder; where the winning bidder pays the bid amount to the player who submitted the card(s) to the public auction, and an auction fee to the bank, with the auction fee being ten percent of the sale price of the card; where if the winning bidder does not have enough money to pay the bid amount and the auction fee, then the card is re-auctioned; where if the winning bidder is the player who submitted the card(s) to the public auction, then the winning bid amount is paid to the bank, along with the auction fee; where if the winning bidder is the player who submitted the card to the public auction, then the winning bid amount is paid to the bank, along with the ten percent auction fee; e) a card cannot be sold for less than its value rating; where the minimum auction fee is also the value rating of the card(s); where if the banker does not receive a bid equal to the value rating of the card(s), then the player who submitted the card(s) to the auction must purchase the card(s) at the value rating of the card(s) and pay the bank an auction fee equal to the value rating of the card(s), where the card(s) then enters game play as the property of said player; where if the player does not have enough money to pay for the card(s) they give the bank any money they have and the card(s) are returned to the player's cache, and are out of play; f) auctioning of cards is rotated evenly among all players with the banker repeating the bidding process sequentially among all players until all the cards submitted to the public auction have been sold; where if the banker is playing the game, their cards are auctioned last in the player sequence; and g) any card that has entered the game through the Animal Auction can be resold, traded, loaned, given away or bartered in any manner the owner wishes, and at any price, during the Open session; and where any card that has entered the game through the Animal Auction can also be sold in any future auction.

In accordance with another aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, the auction portion of a turn may consist of only a public auction, where a public auction is defined as an auction where every game player is allowed to bid on every card that is auctioned.

In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, when the auction portion of a turn has been completed or when no cards are submitted to the Animal Auction, the banker holds the Open portion of a turn; where the Open portion of a turn allows for interaction between players, where player interactions may include, inter alia, constructing contracts, making cash loans, purchasing and/or trading cards, bartering agreements, or any other interactions and/or dealings, with the only limitations being that arrangements, interactions and/or dealings do not conflict with any game rules and all parties involved agree to the conditions of said arrangements, interactions and/or dealings.

In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, during the Open portion of a turn players can breed their animals and deliver babies; and where if a player does not have a mate for an adult animal that they wish to breed, they can barter a deal with another player to get a mate for their animal, which could involve, inter alia, trading an animal for a mate, paying a breeding fee or reciprocal breeding arrangements with another zoo. In this aspect of the aforementioned form of the present invention, subadult cards only entering game play as babies when a female gives birth during the Open session.

In addition, in this this embodiment of the present invention, the following rules, procedures and/or examples apply during the Open portion of a turn:

a) breeding can only occur between an adult male and an adult female that have the same common name (see FIG. 1:6) on their cards; where as an example, a Cape Mountain Zebra cannot be bred with Hartmann's Zebra, even though they are both zebras, because they have different common names on their cards, and also because they are different species, and where Masai giraffe cannot be bred with Somali giraffe, even though they are the same species, because the common name on their cards are not the same; where if a player has an adult male and female with the same common name, that said player would like to breed, the player informs the banker they wish to breed the pair; whereupon the following applies:

-   -   i) anytime a player breeds a female, said player must pay a         breeding fee to the bank, equal to the value rating of the         female (see FIG. 1: 2), prior to breeding said female, where         said fee is paid for each turn a female is bred and where a         player cannot bred a female unless a player can pay said         female's breeding fee; where an adult female can only breed once         per turn, and where an adult male can breed with all adult         females with the same common name in a player's zoo in the same         turn, but where said male cannot breed with females in two         different zoos in the same turn;     -   ii) determining if a female becomes pregnant requires a player         to roll a die, where if the result of the die roll is equal to         or less than the frequency number (see FIG. 1: 12 b) on a         female's card, said female is pregnant; where a second person         must watch a player's die roll to confirm the results, where         unconfirmed results are not allowed; and where pregnant females         cannot be bred again until their offspring become juveniles;         b) when a female becomes pregnant, a player uses a data sheet to         track the pregnancy of the female by marking one of the female's         G boxes (see FIG. 3: 7) for each month said female will be         pregnant, where the number of months a female will be pregnant         is the gestation number on a female's card (FIG. 1: 13 b), where         the first G box marked is the one in the current turn, and where         the first month with an unmarked G box following a month with a         marked G box, is the month a female gives birth;         c) when a female gives birth the number of babies born to said         female is one when the litter number (see FIG. 1: 14 b) on said         female's card is “1”, or is determined by the roll of a die when         said litter number is larger than one; where said litter number         is the maximum number of babies said female can birth for a         single pregnancy and where a die roll equal to or greater than         said litter number means that the maximum number of babies a         female can birth are born, and a die roll less than said maximum         number, is the number of babies that are born; where a second         person must watch a player's die roll to confirm the results,         where unconfirmed results are not allowed;         d) the sex of a baby is determined by the roll of a die, with an         even number die roll meaning that the baby is a female and an         odd number die roll meaning the baby is a male; where a second         person must watch a player's die roll to confirm the results,         where unconfirmed results are not allowed;         e) when a baby is born, if a player has a subadult card in their         cache that is the same sex as the baby and has the same common         name as the parents, said player may bring said subadult card         into game play and list it on said their data sheet; and where         when a player does not have a card in their cache that is the         same sex as the baby and has the same common name as the         parents, said player may still list the baby on said player's         data sheet, using the value rating of the parent of the same         sex;         f) the maximum number of babies that can be born to a female         during the Open portion of a turn for a single pregnancy is six;         g) the maximum number of animals of the same species, for which         a player can receive payment, is eight.

Also in accordance with this aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, when a female delivers a baby if a player has a subadult card in their cache that matches the common name and sex of the baby, they may add the card to their zoo; where if a player's cache does not contain a card to match a baby that has been born, the player can still add the baby card to their zoo at a later date, whenever a matching card is added to their cache; where even if a player does have a card in their cache that matches a baby that has been born at their zoo, the player still enters the information of the baby on their data sheet; where when the value rating of a baby is unknown, player's use the value rating of the adult parent of the same sex; where player's can list a maximum of six babies of one species on their data sheet(s), with any babies born in excess of that number being ignored and un listed on a player's data sheet(s); where a player can have a maximum of 8 animals of the same species listed on their data sheet(s); where in the event that a player has more than 8 animals of the same species, the player may choose which animals to list on their data sheet(s); where any animal already listed on a data sheet that is removed from game play must have its value rating subtracted from a player's Monthly Budget.

Further, in this aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, at the end of the Open, players are paid a Monthly Budget (see FIG. 3: 19) in game cash, as described for 4 b for information recorded on a data sheet, for the total of all the value ratings of the animals in their zoo (which is adjusted for any changes that have occurred to said animals value ratings) for that turn, where the amount of game cash a player will be paid for a given turn is listed in the monthly budget box (see FIG. 3: 20) for said turn.

In accordance with another aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, players use data sheets to, inter alia, record information listed on a player's cards, track and record events, record transactions and agreements, record special conditions that occur during game play, keep track of acquisitions and losses, determine compensation a player receives, and to track the progress and flow of game play; where the following applies:

a) data sheets allow players to, inter alia, determine the number of animals in their zoo, record pertinent information about a given animal, track the condition of their animals, record the value of their animals (by recording the VR number of each animal), record transactions, track the development of animals, determine when animals were purchased, or bartered, determine when an animal dies and determine the total value of their zoo; b) one data sheet can record 12 game turns, which represent the 12 months of the year, with the 12 months of the year represented by month boxes (see FIG. 3: 23); where the first month of the year on a data sheet is marked 1M, the second month is marked 2M, et cetera; with one game turn equal to one month on a data sheet; where to continue a game beyond 12 turns, players use additional data sheets; where the year box on a data sheet (FIG. 3: 25) can be marked to indicate the progress of game play and the year of game play for which the information on the data sheet pertains; c) players receive payment for the animals listed on a player's data sheet, at the end of each turn; which is the total of the value ratings of the animals in their zoo, as allowed by game rules, at the end of each turn; which does not necessarily mean that a player is paid for each animal listed on their data sheet(s), as it is possible that some of the animals listed on a data sheet may have their VR number voided or subtracted from a player's Monthly Budget, as a result of an animal, inter alia, being bartered to another zoo, dying or becoming sick, or for exceeding the number of animals allowed for a given species; and d) players can write the name of their zoo at the top of their data sheet(s).

In accordance with another aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, any animal card that is acquired by a player during game play is listed on said player's data sheet.

In accordance with this aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, information recorded on a data sheet may include, inter alia:

4 a) the value rating of a card, 4 b) a player's Monthly Budget, Current Month Value Rating Total and Prior Monthly Budget, 4 c) the common and/or species name of the animal listed a card, 4 d) the given name of an animal, 4 e) the sex of the animal listed on the card, 4 f) the current turn of game play, 4 g) the status of pregnant females, 4 h) the identification of the animal's mother and father, 4 i) the current life stage of an animal, 4 j) the age of an animal, 4 k) the genetic group to which an animal belongs, 4 l) a player's animal transactions and/or the condition of an animal (events), 4 m) the name of a player's zoo, 4 n) the number of animals a player owns 4 o) if an animal was born at a zoo, 4 p) if the animal on the card has sired offspring in captivity, and 4 q) the animal's reproductive age limit; where the following apply for 4 a through 4 q: 4 a) the value rating of a card, as described for 1 a and 3 a for information on adult and subadult cards, is recorded on a player's data sheet in the month box (see FIG. 3: 12) that corresponds to the turn box (FIG. 3: 24) in which the animal was acquired, where said value rating is a number; where the value rating of each card a player has in game play is recorded on a player's data sheet(s); where the value rating of a card is removed from a player's data sheet when, inter alia, an animal dies or, when ownership of a card changes from one player to another, where the value rating for said card is added to the data sheet of the player who acquires said card; where the value rating for a card is subtracted from a player's data sheet for any turn the animal on said card is loaned to another player's zoo; and where, during game play, when the value rating of a card is increased or decreased for a given turn, said value rating of said card is adjusted for said turn on a player's data sheet, so that the increase or decrease to said value rating is indicated in the month box for said card for said turn; 4 b) a player's Monthly Budget (see FIG. 3: 19) is the total of the value ratings of all the animals said player has in their zoo for a given turn, which are not sick, do not exceed the number of animals allowed by game rules for a given species or have not had their value rating voided or subtracted from said Monthly Budget for some additional reason as specified by game rules; where said total is recorded in the monthly budget box (see FIG. 3: 20) for said turn; where the Monthly Budget a player receives for a given turn is the total of the Current Month Value Rating Total (FIG. 3: 17) recorded in the current month box (FIG. 3: 21) added to the Prior Monthly Budget (FIG. 3: 18) recorded in the prior month box (FIG. 3: 22) for said turn, where said total is recorded in the monthly budget box (FIG. 3: 20) for said turn; where the Monthly Budget listed on a player's data sheet for a given turn is the amount of payment a player receives at the end of said turn, where said payment is the total of all the value rating numbers, as described in 4 a for information recorded on a data sheet, that a player has in their zoo for a given turn, which are not sick, do not exceed the number of animals allowed by game rules for a given species or have not had their value rating voided or subtracted from said Monthly Budget for some additional reason as specified by game rules; and where said number equates to the amount of game cash a player receives at the end of said turn; and where said compensation equates to one game cash dollar per value rating point; 4 c) identification boxes (see FIG. 3: 8) on data sheets allow players to record the common and/or scientific name of an animal, where the common and/or species name of the animal, or a form thereof that adequately abbreviates said name, is recorded on a player's data sheet; and where the common and/or species name of the animal, or said form thereof, is recorded for each animal a player acquires during game play; 4 d) players can name any animal they acquire that does not have a given name; where the given name is recorded in the animal's Name Box (FIG. 3: 10) on a data sheet, where said given name may be any name a player chooses; where when a player acquires an animal from another zoo where said animal has a given name, said name must be recorded on said player's data sheet; and where the given name of an animal may be used in tracking said animal's genealogical information for breeding purposes; 4 e) the sex of the animal on a card is recorded in the M/F column (see FIG. 3: 6) on a data sheet, where a player marks the M box (see FIG. 3: 6 a) for a male or the F box (see FIG. 3: 6 b) for a female; 4 f) the current turn of game play can be determined by a player marking the turn box (FIG. 3: 24) for the current turn; or by looking at the last monthly budget box (FIG. 3: 20) with a recorded Monthly Budget; 4 g) the status of pregnant females, can be indicated and tracked by using the G box (FIG. 3: 7) on a data sheet; where when a female becomes pregnant, a player marks a G box for each month said female will be pregnant, where the number of months a female will be pregnant is the gestation number on a female's card (FIG. 1: 13 b), where the first G box marked is the one in the current turn, and where the first month with an unmarked G box following a month with a marked G box, is the month a female gives birth; 4 h) the identity of an animal's father and mother, is recorded for certain versions of game play by using the PF box (FIG. 3: 4) and PM box (FIG. 3: 5) on a data sheet, where the identity of the animal's father is listed in the PF box and the identity of the animal's mother is listed in the PM box; where the identification of the father and mother can be recorded as the given name and/or card identification number (FIG. 1: 9 or FIG. 2: 9) of the animal's father and mother; 4 i) the life stage length of an animal, as described for 1 b and 3 b for information on adult and subadult cards, is tracked for certain versions of game play by using the life stage boxes (FIG. 3: 13) on a data sheet, where the B box (FIG. 3: 14) is used to track the baby life stage length (FIG. 2: 3 b), and where the J box (FIG. 3: 15) is used to track the juvenile life stage length (FIG. 2: 4 b), and where the A box (FIG. 3: 16) is used to track the adult life stage length (FIG. 1: 4); where a player marks one B box for each month an animal is a baby and when the number of B boxes marked equals the baby life stage length number, the baby becomes a juvenile the following turn, and the value rating of that subadult on the player's data sheet is changed to reflect any difference between the baby value rating (FIG. 2: 2 a) and the juvenile value rating (FIG. 2: 2 b); and where when using the value rating of an adult for the baby in the absence of a suitable subadult card, no adjustment is made to the value rating; where a player marks one J box (FIG. 3: 15) for each month an animal is a juvenile and when the number of J boxes marked equals the juvenile life stage length number (FIG. 2: 4 b), the juvenile becomes an adult the following turn and said player exchanges the subadult card for an adult card of the same sex and with the same common name, from their cache, and the value rating of the animal on the player's data sheet is changed to reflect any difference between the juvenile value rating and the adult value rating for the animal; where when said player does not have a suitable adult card to replace the subadult card, the subadult card remains in play, with the value rating for the animal being changed on the player's data sheet to reflect the value rating of the parent of the same sex; where when using the value rating of an adult for the juvenile in the absence of a suitable subadult card, no adjustment is made to the value rating; where a player marks one A box (FIG. 3: 16) for each month an animal is an adult and when the number of A boxes marked equals the adult life stage length number (FIG. 1: 4), the adult dies and said player returns the card to their cache and subtracts the animal's value rating from their Current Month Value Rating Total at the end of that turn; where the current life stage length age of an animal is contiguous when ownership of the animal changes from one player to another player; where the age of any animal purchased through the Animal Auction is “1”, where any subadult card sold at auction is always a juvenile; and where the age of any baby born during the Open is “1”; 4 j) when the age of an animal is recorded for certain versions of game play, said age is recorded in the animal's age box (FIG. 3: 9) on a data sheet; where the age recorded in the age box is the current age of the animal at the beginning of any given year of game play and where said age is a number that corresponds to the age of the animal in months; 4 k) in certain versions of game play a player may need to identify that a specific animal belongs to a specific genetic group; where indicating which genetic group an animal belongs is accomplished by using the GG box (FIG. 3: 2) on a player's data sheet, where said player may use any indicia, numbers or letters they choose, to indicate that said animal belongs said group, so long as the same indicia, numbers or letters are used to identify each member of said genetic group; and where if an animal is moved from one genetic group to another, or removed from a genetic group, the information in the animal's GG box must be changed to reflect the change; 4 l) any animal transactions and/or the condition of an animal (events), can be recorded by using the month boxes (FIG. 3: 12) on a data sheet, where said events are recorded in the month box of the animal they effect, in the turn they occur; where players can use any indicia, numbers or letters they choose to describe said events; 4 m) a player may name their zoo; and where the name of a player's zoo may be written at the top of their data sheet(s); 4 n) every animal currently in a player's zoo is listed on said player's data sheet(s); where every animal a player has acquired during game play is listed on said player's data sheet(s); and where when any animal is removed from a player's zoo, said player records said removal on their data sheet in the month box of said animal, in the turn in which said removal happened; 4 o) when an animal is born at a player's zoo certain versions of game play require said player to mark the BZ box (see FIG. 3: 1) on the data sheet for said animal, where marking the animal's BZ box identifies the animal as being born at a zoo; and where if the animal is bartered to another zoo, the player that acquired the animal must mark the BZ box for said animal on said player's data sheet; 4 p) in certain versions of game play if an animal has sired offspring at a game zoo, a player can mark the parent circle (FIG. 3: 11) on the animal's data sheet(s); and 4 q) in certain versions of game play the animal's reproductive age limit can be marked in the RAL box (FIG. 3: 3) on the animal's data sheet, to indicate the age at which said animal can no longer be bred.

In accordance with another aspect of the aforementioned form of the present invention, animals purchased in the Animal Auction are listed on a player's data sheet(s); where when a player acquires an animal said player uses one of the line item boxes numbered 1 through 18 (see FIG. 3: 26) on their data sheet to:

a) enter the animal's common name (see FIG. 1: 6 and FIG. 2: 6) and/or species name (see FIG. 1: 8 a and FIG. 2: 8 a) in the identification box (see FIG. 3: 8); b) give the animal a name if the animal does not have a given name, by using the name box (see FIG. 3: 10) to record the animal's given name; which can be anything a player likes; but where, if a player acquires an animal that already has a given name, the existing name is used by said player on their data sheet; c) identify the animal's sex by marking “M” for male (see FIG. 3: 6 a) or “F” for female (see FIG. 3: 6 b) in the M/F column (see FIG. 3: 6); and d) records the VR number (see FIG. 1: 2, FIG. 2: 2 a and FIG. 2: 2 b) of the animal in the month box (see FIG. 3: 12); where month boxes are used to enter the VR number (see FIG. 1: 2, FIG. 2: 2 a and FIG. 2: 2 b) of each animal you acquire; where players list the juvenile VR number (see FIG. 3: 2 b) of a subadult for all subadults purchased through the Animal Auction on their data sheet; where by rule a baby cannot be sold at auction and only enter game play when a female gives birth during the Open; where this process is repeated for each animal a player acquires during game play, including babies that are born at their zoo, where players enter the VR number of an animal in the month box that corresponds to the item number and turn the animal was acquired; and where players can list 18 animals on one data sheet.

In accordance with another aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, any animals acquired during the Open, either through acquisition from another player or as a result of a female giving birth, have their common name (see FIG. 1: 6 and FIG. 2: 6) and/or species name (see FIG. 1: 8 a and FIG. 2: 8 a), their sex (see FIG. 1: 7 and FIG. 2: 7) and VR number (see FIG. 1: 2, FIG. 2: 2 a and FIG. 2: 2 b) listed on a data sheet of the player who acquired the animal; where a player enters the VR number of any animal they acquire during the Open, in the month box (see FIG. 3: 12) that corresponds to the turn the animal was acquired or born; where a player's zoo can also be reduced during a given month by the following:

a) having an animal that is sold, traded or that dies during a turn; where said animal's value rating is subtracted from a player's Current Month Value Rating Total in the turn in which the animal was removed from the player's zoo; and b) having an animal on “loan” to another zoo; where said player subtracts the animal's VR number from the Current Month Value Rating Total, in the month the animal was “loaned” to the other zoo; and where when the animal is returned, said player adds the animal's VR number to the Current Month Value Rating Total, in the month the animal was returned.

In accordance with this aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, when events such as a sale, trade, loan or death occur, players are encouraged to note the event in the animal's month box.

In accordance with another aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, data sheets record the necessary information for a game and allow game play to be suspended and resumed at a later date; where when suspending a game the banker counts the amount of money in the bank and divides it equally between all players, with any fractional amounts left in the bank going to the player with the largest Monthly Budget, with high roll of the die used to break any ties; where after the money in the bank has been distributed, each player records the amount of cash they have on their data sheet, and when game play resumes all players pay $1 million in game cash to the banker to create a new bank and then count out the amount of money they recorded on their data sheet when the game was suspended, to use for game play; where all additional information needed to resume game play, such as the animals a player has in their zoo, pregnancies and the current turn, is recorded on a player's data sheet(s).

In this embodiment of the present invention, additional rules of game play, hereinafter called “Advanced Rules”, can be added to game play; where all, a portion, or none of said Advanced Rules may be added to game play; where Advanced Rules of play may include, inter alia, the following:

5 a) Adding and Removing Players, 5 b) Additional Pregnancies, 5 c) Auctioning Breeding Pairs, 5 d) Breeding Genealogy, 5 e) Carrying Fees, 5 f) Chance, 5 g) Color Variants, 5 h) Genetic Groups, 5 i) Increased Frequency, 5 j) Large Litters, 5 k) Litter Size Variations, 5 l) Mortality Due to Age, 5 m) Preexisting Zoos, 5 n) Release to the Wild, 5 o) Reproductive Age Limit, 5 p) Subadult Cards Enhanced Play, 5 q) Tracking the Age of Adult Animals, 5 r) Unlimited Animal Populations 5 s) Unrestricted Animal Auction, and 5 t) Weaning Age;

where following applies for items 5 a through 5 t: 5 a) Adding and Removing Players allows a player or players to be added to and/or removed from a game in progress; where the addition of a player or players to a game in progress requires the approval of all the players in the game; and where any new player or players being added to the game in progress are required to fulfill certain requirements, where said requirements include paying a zoo creation fee; and where any new player or players are allowed to bring the same amount of game cash into game play as the resident players did at the start of game play; where the new player(s) being added to the game, commence game play in the current turn of game play; where the animal cache of a new player may be of any size; and where the animal cache of a new player may be required to have a minimum number of cards; and where the new player may be required to start game play without any animals in their zoo; and where the new player(s) may be required to build their zoo solely as a result of acquiring animals through the game play of the game to which they are added; where removing a player or players from a game allows a player or players to leave (or be removed) from game play; where the removal of said player or players is easily accomplished and game play is essentially unaltered; where any cash brought into the game by a leaving player, that is in the possession of the bank or another player, remains in game play and is forfeited to the remaining players; where a player leaving a game where all the players consented to the exchanging of cards as a result of game play, takes the cards currently in their zoo when they leave the game; where a player leaving a game where all the players consented to returning cards to their original owner, takes the cards that were in their cache when they started game play; and where any card(s) removed from a zoo of any of the remaining players by a player leaving game play, may be replaced from the cache of the player who lost the card, if that player has a card that is the same species, sex and VR number of the card removed; and where a player always takes the animals that are in their cache when they leave the game; 5 b) Additional Pregnancies allows females that have given birth to be bred after their babies become juveniles, where to determine when a baby becomes a juvenile players need to add Subadult Cards Enhanced Play: Tracking the Growth of Subadults to game play; 5 c) Auctioning Breeding Pairs allows a player who submits a breeding pair to the Animal Auction, to sell both animals together, with the highest bidder receiving the pair where a breeding pair is any unrelated adult male and adult female that have the same common name on their cards; where animals in a player's cache are considered to be unrelated, so that any adult male and adult female in a player's cache with the same common name are a breeding pair; and where a breeding pair is also any adult animal from a player's cache, paired with an adult mate from a zoo; where to determine if two adult animals that were both born at a zoo are unrelated and can be sold as a breeding pair, players will need to add Breeding Genealogy to game play; 5 d) Breeding Genealogy, is used to determine if two adult animals that were both born at a zoo are unrelated; where animals are considered unrelated if they are not siblings or if one of the animals is not the parent of the other; where players cannot breed an animal with a sibling or either of its parents; where before you can breed two animals that were both born at a zoo, a player must check the breeding genealogy of both to determine if they are unrelated; where players keep a breeding genealogy of an animal born at a zoo by using the PF box (see FIG. 3: 4) to record the identity of the father and the PM box (see FIG. 3: 5) to record the identity of the mother; where the identity of the parents of an animal can be recorded by, inter alia, writing the given name in the name box (see FIG. 3: 10) of the father in the PF box of the animal and the given name in the name box of the mother in the PM box of the animal, or by using the card identfication number of the father (see FIG. 1: 9) in the PF box and the card identfication number of the mother in the PM box of their offspring; where if animals have a common parent, or one animal is the parent of the other, they cannot be bred; where if a player acquires an animal born at another zoo, said player records the identity of the animal's parents in the animal's PF and PM boxes; where if a player is unable to determine the parents of an animal born at a zoo, the animal cannot be bred; where a player will only be able to identify the parents of animals born at a zoo, and will not be able to identify the parents of an animal brought into game play through the Animal Auction, where adult animals brought into game play through the Animal Auction are considered to be unrelated; 5 e) Carrying Fees are fees charged a player for animals said player has in game play in excess of those allowed by game rules; where said carrying fees are used in conjunction with Release to the Wild and Unlimited Animal Populations Advanced Rules; where said fee is the value rating (see FIG. 1: 2, FIG. 2: 2 a and FIG. 2: 2 b) of the animal; where any animals over the animal population limit of 8 animals per species incur a carrying fee equal to the animal's VR number, where all the animals owned by a zoo are entered on the zoo's data sheet(s), but those incurring carrying fees are entered as negatives and have their value rating(s) subtracted from a player's Monthly Budget, where players are allowed to pick which value ratings are added to their Monthly Budget, and which are subtracted from it; and where when using genetic groups in game play allows certain animals to be excluded from the animal population limit of 8. 5 f) Chance allows for random events to be added to a game turn; where a player can only play one Chance per turn and where a player can only be the recipient of one Chance per turn; where the opportunity to add said random events to a turn may reside with the game players; where said random events may be the result of, inter alia, the roll of a die or the playing of a card by a player; where any player can play a Chance by announcing they are playing a Chance and choosing a recipient of that Chance, where said recipient can also be the player playing the Chance; where the recipient turns all the animal cards in their zoo face down and shuffles them, where the player who played the Chance then selects one of the animal cards, except in the circumstance where the recipient and player playing the Chance are the same player, where in said circumstance another player draws the card, with the recipient then rolling a die, with the following results, inter alia, occurring to the drawn card:

-   -   i) if the die roll is a “1”, the animal is sick, and its card is         turned over for the remainder of the turn, where sick animals         cannot breed and do not have their value rating subtracted from         a player's Monthly Budget for any turn it is sick; and where         sick animals remain sick, and their card is left face down,         until they recover, where to have an animal recover, a player         rolls the die at the beginning of the next Open, where if the         die roll is a “1”, “2”, “3” or “4”, the animal has recovered and         where if the die roll is a “5” or “6”, the animal remains sick;         where if an animal remains sick for 3 consecutive turns, it dies         and its card is removed from the game and placed in the owner's         animal cache;     -   ii) if the die roll is “2”, the animal has an adjusted VR value,         where a second die roll is then made where if the die roll is a         “1” the VR value of the animal is tripled for that turn, where         if the die roll is a “2”, “3” or “4”, the VR value of the animal         is doubled for that turn and where if the die roll is a “5” or         “6”, the VR value of the animal is zero for that turn;     -   iii) if the die roll is a “3” nothing happens.     -   iv) if the die roll is a “4” and the card is male, nothing         happens; but where if the card is a female a second die roll is         then made, where if the die roll is a “1” the female's frequency         number is increased by “2” for that turn, where if the die roll         is a “2”, “3” or “4” the female's frequency number is increased         by “1” for that turn, where if the die roll is a “5” the         female's frequency number is reduced by “1” for that turn and         where if the die roll is a “6” and the female is pregnant, she         has had a false pregnancy and is no longer considered pregnant         and can be bred again during the next Open;     -   v) if the die roll is a “5” nothing happens to the card, but the         zoo at which the card resides immediately receives a donation         from the bank for that turn; where a second roll of the die         determines the amount of said donation, where if the die roll is         a “1” the donation is $20,000, where if the die roll is a “2”         the donation is $30,000, where if the die roll is a “3” the         donation is $40,000, where if the die roll is a “4” the donation         is $50,000, where if the die roll is a “5” the donation is         $75,000 and where if the die roll is a “6” the donation is         $100,000;     -   vi) if the die roll is a “6” nothing happens to the card, but         the player on whom the Chance was played will immediately pay a         fine to the bank for that turn, where if the die roll is a “1”         the fine is $10,000, where if the die roll is a “2” the fine is         $20,000, where if the die roll is a “3” the fine is $30,000,         where if the die roll is a “4” the fine is $40,000, where if the         die roll is a “5” the fine is $60,000 and where if the die roll         is a “6” the fine is $80,000;         5 g) Color Variants allows for the birth of animals that are a         unique coloration, where said color variants may include albinos         and or colorations not commonly seen for an animal of a given         species; where said color variants are only possible when at         least one parent is a color variant; where said color variants         may be determined by the roll of a die, where a color variant         matching the variant parent is born when the number rolled on         the die is “1”; and where, when both parents are the same color         variant, the offspring are the same color variant as the         parents; and where when the parents are two different color         variants, the offspring are the color of the father for an odd         numbered roll of the die and the color of the mother for an even         numbered roll of the die.         5 h) Genetic groups, allow a player with several animals of the         same species the opportunity to divide those animals into         genetically different groups; where animals in a player's zoo         are considered to be in genetic groups consisting of the same         species or subspecies, where genetic groups allow zoos to exceed         the animal population limit of 8 animals per species; where the         following conditions, inter alia, apply to each genetic group:     -   i) a genetic group can only consist of one species or one         subspecies, where two subspecies cannot be kept in the same         genetic group;     -   ii) a genetic groups can have any number of animals, but it can         only have one adult male;     -   iii) a genetic group cannot contain related adults that are         capable of breeding with one another, where related animals are         animals with a common parent or where one animal is the parent         of the other animal; where a genetic group can contain two         females that are related to each other (since they cannot breed         with each other) and where a genetic group can also contain a         subadult male and subadult female that are related (since they         are not old enough to mate), but where once both said subadults         grow into adults one of the animals must be moved to a new         group; where a genetic group cannot contain an adult female and         an adult male that are related (since they are capable of         breeding with each other);         where every zoo is allocated one genetic group per species at no         cost and where each time a player creates an additional genetic         group for a species said player must pay the bank $100,000 in         game cash for the cost of creating a new exhibit; however, if a         zoo creates at least one additional genetic group for a species,         containing at least one adult male and one adult female, the zoo         is allowed to receive the value rating of 16 animals for that         species, instead of 8, and where zoos that create at least one         additional genetic group for a species can also have up to 24         animals of that species without incurring any carrying fees, and         any animals in excess of 16, can be released to the wild at no         cost; where subject to the rules of game play, players can         always barter any excess animals or submit them to the Animal         Auction, where whenever a zoo has more animals than can be         counted on their Monthly Budget, players can choose which         animals will have their value ratings added to their Monthly         Budget; where players keep track of which animals are in which         genetic groups by using the GG box (see FIG. 3: 2) on a their         data sheet(s), where players create codes for their genetic         groups to indicate which animals belong to which groups, where         players mark the GG box of animals in the same group with the         same code; where animals can be moved between groups, as long as         none of the genetic group restrictions are violated and where         when a player moves an animal to a new group, said player must         change the code in the animal's GG box to the code of the         genetic group to which the animal has been moved;         5 i) Increased Frequency, improves the breeding chances of         females that have been successfully bred, where the first time a         female or male successfully breed (meaning the female becomes         pregnant), a player marks the parent circle (see FIG. 3: 11) of         both animals; where when you breed a pair of adults, if one mate         has a marked parent circle, a player increases the female's         frequency number (see FIG. 1: 12 b) by “1”, where when you breed         a pair of adults, where both animals have a marked parent         circle, a player increases the female's frequency number by 2;         5 j) Larger Litters allows for litters larger than the litter         number (see FIG. 1: 14 b) indicated on a female's card; where         even animals that give birth to a single infant per pregnancy,         may birth twins, where to account for this and additional births         in larger litters, each time a player rolls a “6” for a litter         “grouping” (where a “grouping” is defined as 1 to 6 births:         where any grouping that is 6 births is a “full grouping” and any         “grouping” that is less than 6 births is a “partial grouping”),         the player rolls the die again for that grouping, where if said         player rolls another “6”, said player adds one birth to the         number of babies born for that grouping; where the Larger         Litters, Advanced Rule is only used in conjunction with Litter         Size Variations;         5 k) Litter Size Variations allows for litter sizes larger than         six and adds variability to the number of births that occur in         litter sizes larger than one, where the maximum number of babies         a female can have per pregnancy is indicated by the litter         number (see FIG. 1: 14 b) on a female's card, but where a female         can also have fewer babies than that litter number, except where         the litter number is “1”, where when the L number is “1”, a         female will always give birth to one baby; where to determine         the number of babies that are born for litters larger than one,         a player divides the female's litter size into “full groupings”         of six, with any “partial grouping” that is less than six being         put into its own grouping; where once a player has divided the         female's litter size into “groupings”, said player rolls the die         once for each “full grouping” of six, where the die roll is the         number of babies that are born for that “grouping”, with said         player then rolling the die for any “partial grouping” of less         than six, with any die roll less than or equal to the number for         that “grouping” being the number of babies that are born, and         where a die roll larger than the number for a “partial grouping”         means the maximum number of births for that grouping has         occurred;         5 l) Mortality Due to Age, requires a player to remove an adult         animal from game play once said animal has been in game play for         a number of turns equal to its adult life stage length (see FIG.         1: 4); where each adult card has an adult life stage length,         where tracking the age of an adult is accomplished by marking an         A box (see FIG. 3: 16) for the animal for each month the animal         is in the game, where any animal entering the game through the         Animal Auction has an age of “1”, and where when a player         acquires an animal that is already in game play, obtains said         animal's age from the previous owner and enters that age in the         animal's age box (see FIG. 3: 9); where the age box is used to         enter the adult's current age, in months (turns), at the         beginning of each new year of game play; where when an adult         animal has been in the game the same number of months (turns) as         the life stage length number on its card, the animal has died         and the owner subtracts the animal's VR number (see FIG. 1: 2)         from their Current Month Value Rating Total and notes the animal         death on their data sheet; where upon said animal's card is         placed in the player's animal cache; where the Mortality Due to         Age, Advanced Rule must be used in conjunction with Tracking the         Age of Adult Animals;         5 m) Preexisting Zoos allow players the option of starting a         game, or adding a player to an existing game, with animals in         their zoo (animals which have not been purchased through the         Animal Auction); where players can either agree on a number of         animals a player can have in their zoo at the start of game play         or they can let each player choose the number of animals they         bring into the game; where for each card brought into game play         a player must pay the bank a fee that is equal to ten times the         VR number (see FIG. 1: 2, FIG. 2: 2 a and FIG. 2: 2 b) of the         card; where payment for animals is made form the $1 million in         game cash a player is allocated for game play, where purchases         cannot exceed that amount;         5 n) Release to the Wild allows a player the opportunity to         avoid paying carrying fees in cases where a female has a litter         size larger than six; where said opportunity to avoid paying         carrying fees is accomplished by a player paying a fee to the         bank, where said fee is $10,000 in game cash; where paying of         said fee allows a player to release as many of said female's         offspring as they choose to the wild, where animals released to         the wild are not entered on a player's data sheet and do not         incur carrying fees; where the Release to the Wild, Advanced         Rule can only be used in conjunction with Unlimited Animal         Populations;         5 o) Reproductive Age Limit, is the age of a female in months         (turns) when she can no longer be bred; where the reproductive         age limit is determined by multiplying the gestation number (see         FIG. 1: 13 b) on a female's card by 3 and subtracting it from         her life stage length (see FIG. 1: 4), where the result is the         female's reproductive age limit, where once a female has reached         this age, she cannot be bred; where the female's RAL box (see         FIG. 3: 3) is used to record her reproductive age limit; or         where said reproductive age limit may be indicated by a number         following the letter “R” on a female's card, where when said         female, reaches said age, she can no longer be bred; 5 p)         Subadult Cards Enhanced Play, allows players the ability to use         all the features of subadult cards; where     -   i) Subadult Cards Enhanced Play allows players to submit         subadult cards to the Animal Auction as juveniles, where any         subadult acquired during the Animal Auction is always a juvenile         (and where it is never a baby), where when babies born at a zoo         become juveniles (see Subadult Cards Enhanced Play iv) they can         be submitted to the Animal Auction;     -   ii) during the Open players can sell or barter any juvenile in         game play, where any subadult acquired during the Open from         another player must always be a juvenile and where babies that         have entered the game during the Open cannot be sold or bartered         until they become juveniles; where when a baby is born at a         player's zoo said player must mark the animal's BZ box (see FIG.         3: 1) on their data sheet, where this identifies the animal as         being born at a zoo, where if the animal is sold or bartered to         another player, the player that acquired the animal must mark         the BZ box for that animal on their data sheet, and where when         animals born at a zoo become adults, they cannot be bred unless         their breeding genealogy (see Breeding Genealogy) is known;     -   iii) most subadult cards have two VR numbers: where one is used         for the baby life stage (see FIG. 2: 2 a) and one is used for         the juvenile life stage (see FIG. 2: 2 b); where if a player         acquires a subadult, where said acquisition occurs in any way         other than a female giving birth, said player enters the         animal's common name, given name, sex and the juvenile value         rating on their data sheet; where if a baby is born at a         player's zoo said player must use the baby value rating when         entering its VR number on their data sheet; where when you         acquire a subadult through the Animal Auction or from another         player during the Open, a player must enter the VR number for         the juvenile life stage on their data sheet; where whenever the         VR number for a subadult is unknown, a player uses the value         rating of an adult, of the same sex and species or subspecies as         the adult;     -   iv) growth of subadults is specified by their life stage         lengths, where most subadult cards have two life stage lengths;         where one is for a baby (see FIG. 2: 3 b) and one is for a         juvenile (see FIG. 2: 4 b), where the number indicated for said         life stage lengths is the number of months (turns) a subadult         exists in that life stage; where a player keeps track of a         baby's growth on a data sheet by using the B box (see FIG. 3:         14), where a player marks one B box for each month said subadult         is a baby, where when that number of turns pass, said baby         becomes a juvenile the following month, and where when said baby         becomes a juvenile it can be sold or bartered, and its mother         can be bred; where a player uses the VR number for the baby life         stage (see FIG. 2: 2 a) for each month (turn) a subadult is a         baby, where when that number of turns pass, the baby becomes a         juvenile the following month and the VR number for said animal         for its juvenile life stage is then on used, where when the VR         number of an animal changes a player will need to adjust their         Monthly Budget (as explained in vi); where an animal's juvenile         life stage length (see FIG. 2: 4 b) is the number of months         (turns) a subadult exists as a juvenile, where a player keeps         track of a juvenile's growth on their data sheet by using said         animal's J box (see FIG. 3: 15), where a player marks one J box         for each month a subadult is a juvenile, where when that number         of turns pass, a juvenile becomes an adult the following turn;         where when a juvenile becomes an adult, the subadult card is         traded for an adult card in a player's cache with the same         common name and sex, where if said player does not have an adult         card to trade for the subadult card, said player can continue to         use the subadult card in game play, but must use the VR number         of an adult of the same sex, on their data sheet; where if said         subadult card is traded or bartered to another player, the VR         number for the adult life stage is used by the acquiring player,         and where anytime a player adds a card to their cache that can         be exchanged for said subadult card, said player may exchange         said adult card for said juvenile card; where when your juvenile         becomes an adult it can be bred; where a player uses the VR         number for the juvenile life stage for each month (turn) a         subadult is a juvenile, where when that number of turns pass,         the juvenile becomes an adult the following month and a player         will use the VR number for the animal's adult life stage on         their data sheet, where when this happens a player will need to         adjust their Monthly Budget (as explained in vi of this         section);     -   v) the age box (see FIG. 3: 9) can be used to track the growth         of subadults, where when a player acquires a subadult the age         box is used to enter the current age (in months) of a baby or         juvenile, where a baby is one month old when it enters the game         and where any juvenile entering the game through the Animal         Auction is one month old; where if a player acquires a juvenile         from another player the acquiring player will need to get the         animal's age from the other player and enter it in the animal's         age box on their data sheet; where a player updates an animal's         age at the beginning of each new year of game play, where to         determine a baby's age at the beginning of a new year, a player         counts the number of B boxes marked on the previous year's data         sheet for said baby and adds that number to the number in the         animal's age box for said previous year, where the total is the         number a player will enter in the animal's age box for the new         year; where to determine a juvenile's current age at the         beginning of a new year, a player counts the number of J boxes         marked on the previous year's data sheet and adds it to the         number in the animal's age box for said previous year, where the         total is the number a player will enter in the animal's age box         for the new year; and     -   vi) Adjusting Monthly Budget to Compensate for Growth of         Subadults allows a player to adjusted their Monthly Budget         anytime a baby grows into a juvenile, or a juvenile grows into         an adult, and the value rating changes for the animal, where a         player must adjust their Monthly Budget to reflect any changes         in value ratings; where when a baby grows into a juvenile a         player does not enter the VR number for the animal's juvenile         life stage on their data sheet, since the VR number for the         animal's baby life stage was already entered on said player's         data sheet when the animal was born, and where entering a second         VR number for the same animal would mean said player would be         receiving double payment for that animal, because the VR number         for the baby life stage is included in the Prior Monthly Budget,         where to prevent double payments for the same animal and to         adjust a player's Monthly Budget for the change in value         ratings, a player subtracts the VR number of the baby life stage         from the VR number of the juvenile life stage and adds that         amount to the Current Month Value Rating Total, where said         amount may be a negative number; where when a juvenile grows         into an adult a player does not enter the VR number for the         animal's adult life stage on their data sheet, since the VR         number for the animal's juvenile life stage is already accounted         for on said player's data sheet and entering an additional VR         number for the same animal would mean said player would be         receiving double payment for that animal, where to prevent         double payments for the same animal and to adjust for any         differences in value ratings, said player subtracts the VR         number of the juvenile life stage from the VR number of the         adult life stage and adds that amount to their Current Month         Value Rating Total, where said amount may be a negative number;         5 q) Tracking the Age of Adult Animals allows players to         determine the age of adult animals, where said determination is         necessary when using the Reproductive Age Limit rule for females         and the Mortality Due to Age rule; where when using said rules,         when a player acquires an adult animal said player enters the         age of said animal (in months) in its age box (see FIG. 3: 9),         where any adult animal that enters the game through the Animal         Auction is in the first month of its adult life stage length         (see FIG. 1: 4) and said player enter the number “1” in the         animal's age box; where if a player acquires an adult that is         already in game play, said player must use the animal's current         age, which is obtained from the prior owner and entered in the         animal's age box; where a player marks the A box (see FIG. 3:         16) in the month an adult is acquired, and where said player         marks an additional A box for every turn said player owns the         animal; where at the end of every year said player counts the         number of A boxes that have been marked for said animal and adds         that number to the number in the animal's age box, and at the         beginning of the next year of game play, said player writes the         total of those two numbers in the animal's age box on the new         year's data sheet; where this process is continued until the         animal dies or is removed from a player's zoo;         5 r) Unlimited Animal Populations allow zoos to have an         unlimited number of animals per species, but where players can         still only receive payment for 8 individuals of the same species         for their Monthly Budget when not using the Genetic Groups Rule,         and payment for 16 individuals of the same species when using         the Genetic Groups Rule; and where when players encounter         extremely large litter sizes, a player may choose the number of         animals they wish to list on their data sheet, but where if they         choose to list less than the actual number of offspring born         they must pay the bank a $10,000 release to the wild fee;         5 s) the Unrestricted Animal Auction allows the banker to decide         how many cards can be submitted to the Animal Auction during a         turn, where the banker can change the number of cards that         players can submit to the auction for each turn, and where the         banker can also hold an unlimited auction by allowing each         player to submit as many cards to the auction as they like;         where if too many cards are submitted to an unlimited auction,         the banker can reduce the number of cards to a manageable size,         as long as each player is allowed to submit the same number of         cards; and where an unlimited auction should only be held when         all players have large animal caches; and         5 t) a baby's weaning age is the age at which a baby is no         longer dependant on it's mother for survival and where once a         baby reaches its weaning age the baby may be traded, sold,         auctioned or bartered.

In accordance with another aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, players may be added or removed from game play; where the addition or removal of players during game play may occur without the cessation of game play; and where the addition or removal of players during game play may be accomplished in a manner that does not significantly alter game play for resident game players.

In accordance with another aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, game play may be suspended and resumed at a later date.

In accordance with another aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, game play can be of any length or continue indefinitely; but where, if the length of game play is less than a minimum length specified in the rules, other aspects and/or portions of the rules may be required to be fulfilled before the termination of game play.

In accordance with another aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, the game, and the collectible cards therein, were designed as educational tools, where both the information on the playing cards and certain aspects of game play are educational and designed to be used for educational purposes.

In accordance with another aspect of this embodiment of the present invention, game play is non-violent.

End of rules and information for this embodiment of the present invention.

As demonstrated by the prior text, the present invention provides a game that can be played in many different formats, using many different mediums, including, inter alia, hand-held cards, internet games, electronic games, computer software, interactive networks and board games. Game play is designed to be highly interactive, educational, enjoyable and energetic. Game play is suitable for a wide range of ages and for players of all levels of skill and ability. The present invention gives players the option of collecting and/or trading components as a result of game play and specific game rules regulate the equitable exchange of game components through the use of Fair Trade Collecting Rules™. Acquisition of components can be accomplished through both the auction and Open portions of game play. Game components are designed to be highly desirable and collectable. Collectible game cards have a preferred, and intentional size of 4 inches by 6 inches, making them unique among the majority of collectable cards. In addition, certain game components have a limited quantity, increasing the value of the components and encouraging players to trade and collect game components. The present invention also permits players to construct their cache in any manner they like to effectuate a better collection and to improve and extend game play. Different aspects of game play provide for simultaneous player participation, winner-less conclusions, non-violent game play, endless game play, easy suspension and resumption of game play, easy addition and removal of players, unlimited cache size, the ability to add to a cache during game play and the use of Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ for the equitable exchange of game components. The many unique aspects of the present invention make it truly novel among games.

It should be noted that as game play is refined and/or improved, the rules of game play will also be changed to reflect these refinements and or improvements, and to improve the nature and/or quality of game play. Further, additional rules may be added to the present invention, which may alter, enhance and/or broaden the scope of game play.

It is to be understood that the game components and the medium in which the game is played can take different forms. As an example, in one version of the game, the components are cards that can be held by a player and the data recording device is a piece of paper with specific information printed on it that allows players to record information for game play. In another version of the game, the players would interact with each other through an internet game site, with the game components being virtual cards that are visually displayed on a monitor and the data recording device for the game would be a computer program that would be virtually represented on a computer screen. In another form the game would be a hand held electronic device with the game components being virtual cards that are visually displayed on the hand held electronic device monitor and the data recording device for the game would be a computer program that would be virtually represented on said monitor. Therefore, the aforementioned game and all aspects of game play, including the tradable aspects therein, are not to be limited to the embodiments as described herein. It is also to be understood that the method of playing the game may take on different forms and may have different components, that are collected through an auction process, when part of game play. In one form, the game involves each player acquiring animal cards through an auction process to create a zoo. But the present invention can also be expanded to include cards that depict things other than animals, such as cars, plants or stamps, with these cards being collected and/or obtained through an auction process associated with game play. In addition, different types of components, such as plastic cards, plastic toys, stamps, or three dimensional virtual images, can also be collected and/or obtained through an auction process associated with game play. Furthermore, play can be accomplished between a single player and an artificial intelligence, as exemplified with single user video games; or game play can be expanded to multiple players, internet tournaments. While the fundamental aspects of the auction process are inherent in each aspect and/or variation of game play, game play can be altered to accommodate the needs of a specific game format and/or the desires of the players.

The present invention is suited for use on existing and readily available electronic devices, such as computers, video game devices such as the Nintendo DS or Sony Game Boy, electronic game platforms such as the Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation or Microsoft Xbox, and on interactive networks or over the internet, utilizing computers, tablet computers or smartphones. These types of commercially available electronic communication devices could be used to allow players to communicate with each other to play the game interactively.

In the overall scope of the present invention, the present invention could also take the form of a board game. It is also possible that certain game components, such as data sheets or cash, could be removed from other versions of the game, or replaced with different components that allow for improved game play. It is also appreciated that a game bank created for a computerized or online game, would never run out of cash. In addition, computerized data sheets would be a more reliable and easier method of tracking game activities; they would also eliminate cheating and/or incorrect recording of player information.

It should be noted that future advancements in science, especially in the areas of electronics and communications may provide new, unknown technologies that could add greater functionality or improvement to the method of game play described herein, and therewith, the protections provided by patent to the present invention should be transcendent of any new scientific and/or technological developments. 

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. A method of playing a game with game components, the method being suitable for games for two or more players and having rules for game play that provide for the exchange of ownership of certain game components between players as a result of game play, where said exchange is facilitated and governed by rules that provide for the equitable exchange of said game components.
 2. The method in claim 1, where certain game components are collectible, and are available in a reservoir of multiple copies of a plurality of said collectible components.
 3. The methods in claims 1 and 2, where whenever exchange of ownership of certain game components occurs as a result of game play, said the exchange is facilitated and governed by specific rules of game play, hereinafter called Fair Trade Collecting Rules™; where Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ require each player to submit a specified number of specific game components to game play, where the type and/or quality of said game component(s) to be submitted to game play may be specified, and where the requirements and method of acquiring said game components is specified, thereby providing a degree of equality to the number and type of said game components each player has the opportunity to acquire during game play; where any player who cannot meet the requirements of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ must relinquishes said game component(s) they have acquired through game play and return them to their original owner, to the extent that they comply with the requirements of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™; and where Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ require that any said game component(s) held by a player, that is the property of another player and/or that has not been acquired in accordance with game rules, is returned to the owner of said game component(s) at the end of game play, or when the owner, or player holding said game component(s), leaves game play.
 4. The methods in claims 1, 2 and 3, with said methods being suitable for games for two or more players and having rules for game play, where said rules include an auction or auction-like process in which certain game components are acquired by game players.
 5. The methods in claims 1, 2, 3 and 4, with said methods being suitable for games for two or more players and having rules for game play that provide for the exchange of ownership of certain game components, where the exchange of ownership of collectible components between players occurs through an auction process, with the game having said collectible components available in a reservoir of multiple copies of a plurality of said collectible components, and being played in a method comprising the steps of: each player constructing their own collection or cache of collectible components by acquiring said collectible components from the reservoir of collectible components; with each player being able to select a number of collectible components from their cache to submit to the auction process, with said steps of executing a turn comprising: a) selecting one or more collectible components from the player's cache and bringing one or more collectible components into game play by submitting them to the auction process; and b) auctioning each collectible component submitted to the auction process: (i) by selecting one or more collectible components; and (ii) taking bids for the one or more collectible components until a winning bidder has been determined, with the winning bidder acquiring the collectible component(s) (iii) where the winning bidder pays the bid amount, or a portion thereof, to the player who submitted the collectible component(s) to the auction, and any associated fees, (iv) where when the winning bidder is the player who submitted the collectible component to the auction, payment is made as prescribed by game rules, where said rules may require said player to submit said payment, or a portion thereof, to a game cash pool; c) with the auction continuing until each collectible component submitted to the auction has been acquired or removed from the auction, with game play continuing indefinitely or until the game ends; where whenever change of ownership of collectible components occurs as a result of an auction process during game play, the acquisition of said collectible components is governed by Fair Trade Collecting Rules™, where Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ require each player to submit a minimum number of collectible components to the auction process, where the type and/or quality of said components may be specified, where any player who has not met the requirements of Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ for the number of collectible components needed to be submitted to game play at the time they leave a game or when a game ends, must relinquish a number of collectible components they have acquired from the other player(s) during the course of game play that is equal to the number of collectible components they are required to submit to game play minus the number of collectible components they have submitted to game play; where said relinquished collectible component(s) may be chosen by a majority of the other players, or the other player in a two person game, where said relinquished collectible component(s) may be returned to their original owner or reentered into game play, depending on the rules of game play, where any relinquished collectible component(s) resubmitted to said auction have the winning bid amount paid in accordance with game rules, which may or may not require remuneration be given to the player relinquishing said collectible component(s) or that the amount bid for said collectible component(s) be placed in a game cash pool, depending on the rules of game play and/or the decision of a majority of the other players; and where Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ require that any collectible component(s) held by a player, that is the property of another player and/or that has not been acquired in accordance with game rules, is returned to the owner of said collectible component(s) at the end of game play or when the owner or player holding said collectible component(s) leaves game play; where any game terminated before the prescribed mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ have been met, requires the holding of a final auction, that will provide players access to collectible components and ensure that each player submits a minimum number of collectible components to the auction process as prescribed by game rules, thereby providing a degree of equality to the number of collectible components each player has the opportunity to acquire during game play, where the number of collectible components a player submits to the final auction, is determined by having said player subtract the number of collectible components they have submitted to all prior auctions from the minimum number of collectible components which must be submitted to the auction process for the entirety of the game, and submitting the difference to the final auction, where if that difference is zero or less than zero, no collectible components are submitted to the final auction, where a player may not submit duplicate collectible components to said final auction unless said duplicate is approved by a majority of those players participating in said final auction, or the second player in a two person game; where any player leaving a game where game play requires the completion of a minimum number of auctions, prior to the completion of the minimum number of auctions required, must submit a prescribed number of collectible components to the auction process as specified by the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™, where the number of collectible components a player leaving game play must submit to the auction process is determined by having the player subtract the number of collectible components they have submitted to all prior auctions from the minimum number of collectible components which must be submitted to the auction process for the entirety of the game, and submitting the difference to the auction process, where if that difference is zero or less than zero, no collectible components are submitted to the auction process, where a player may not submit duplicate collectible components to said auction process unless said duplicate is approved by a majority of those players participating in said final auction, and where the number of collectible components submitted to the auction process by a player or players leaving the game may be auctioned in a single auction, or over several auctions.
 6. The methods in claims 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, where the collectible game components being exchanged are cards.
 7. The method in claims 4, 5 and 6, where the prescribed number of collectible components submitted to an auction is 2 per player, per turn, or an average of 2 per player, per turn over the course of game play; but where the number of collectible components submitted to an auction may also be 3 or 4 per player, per turn, or an average of 3 or 4, per player, per turn over the course of game play, and where said number may be determined by the number of auctions held during game play and/or the number of players, but where said number may also be a different number than 2, 3 or 4, and where said number may be: a) a fixed, mandatory number that remains constant throughout the course of game play, where the same specified number of collectible components must be submitted to the auction process for each game turn; b) a variable, mandatory number that changes during the course of game play, where a specified number of collectible components must be submitted to the auction process for a given turn, but where that specified number may change for any given turn; c) a fixed, non-mandatory number that remains constant throughout the course of game play, where a specified number of collectible components may be submitted to the auction process for each turn, but where the specified number is not mandatory, and where the number of collectible components submitted to an auction may be equal to or less than that specified number; d) a non-fixed, non-mandatory number that varies during the course of game play, where a specified number of collectible components may be submitted to the auction process for a given turn, but where that specified number may change for any given turn, where that specified number is not mandatory, and where the number of collectible components submitted to the auction process may be equal to or less than that specified number; e) an unrestricted number, where players can submit as many collectible components to the auction process as they like; where the number of game components submitted to any auction process may be determined by a designated auctioneer, where said auctioneer can be a player or someone not playing the game, where said auctioneer may be chosen by a majority of the players; or where the number of game components submitted to the auction process may be determined by consensus of a majority of the players; and where Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ require each player to submit a minimum number of collectible components to the auction process, where the preferred minimum number of collectible components a player must submit to the auction process is 12 or 18, but where the minimum number of collectible components a player must submit to the auction process may be a positive integer other than 12 or 18, and where Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ may require the holding of a minimum number of auctions, where the preferred minimum number of auctions that must be held is 6, but where the minimum number of auctions that must be held may be a positive integer other than
 6. 8. The method in claims 4, 5, 6 and 7, where the steps of executing a turn consist of the auction process as described therein, followed by an interactive event phase or Open; where during the Open players may, inter alia: a) interact with other players to acquire or relinquish game components, b) interact with other players to exercise or activate the abilities of game components, c) exercise or activate the abilities of game components in their possession, d) construct agreements or barter deals with other players, in accordance with the rules of the game, e) bring additional game components into game play, f) exercise or activate features of game play specified in the rules, and/or g) change the parameters of game play as allowed within the rules of game play.
 9. The method in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, where players may purchase collectible components by using game currency; where when game play includes an auction process, any player(s) with game currency in game play can acquire said collectible components through an auction or final auction, and where when only one player has the ability to acquire said collectible components in an auction, said player is allowed to do so as long as said player distributes their purchases evenly among the other players, so that they purchase no more than one additional said collectible component from any player(s) than they purchase from the other player(s); where the amount of game currency a player has in game play may be added to, in accordance with the rules of game play; where game rules may provide that said additional currency may be added to game play by one or more players; where when game players receive game currency for the value of certain game components they possess in game play, the amount of remuneration said players receive for said components may be restricted and/or limited; and where a player leaving game play is entitled to any compensation they would normally receive from the auctioning of their said collectible component(s), so long as they have complied with the mandates of Fair Trade Collecting Rules™, where said player may need not be present to receive said compensation; but where if a player has not complied with Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ said compensation for said player is distributed in accordance with game rules.
 10. The method in claim 9, where before the start of game play, all players create a game bank, with each player submitting a specified amount of game currency to the game bank; where said bank collects fees from and distributes compensation to players, where a banker may be chosen by majority vote of the players, to collect and distribute funds from the bank; where when an auction is part of game play, the banker may also be the auctioneer, or where the auctioneer may be another person chosen by a majority of the players, where the banker and/or auctioneer need not be a game player, where when the banker is a player, the banker plays the game just as any other player and is subject to the rules of game play, where the banker may be changed during game play, and where the functions of the banker and/or auctioneer may be automated; where during an auction, the player who is the winning bidder may pay an auction fee to the bank; where the auction fee paid to the bank maybe 10 percent of the purchase price, but where the auction fee may be an amount other than 10 percent, as designated by the banker and/or game rules, and where when the winning bidder is the same player that submitted the game component to the auction, that player may pay the said winning bid amount to the bank; where the amount of game currency held by the bank in game play may be added to, in accordance with the rules of game play, which may provide that said additional currency may be added to game play by one or more game players; where when the bank runs out of game cash to pay game players per the rules of game play, additional game currency may be required to be added to the bank by one or more game players; where when game players receive game currency for the value of certain game components they possess in game play, the amount of remuneration said players receive for said components may be restricted and/or limited.
 11. The method in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, where the number of certain game components a player can use for game play, or a player's cache, can be of any size, and where additional game components may be added to a player's cache at any time; and where when game currency is a part of game play the amount of game currency in game play may be increased either communally or by an individual player or players, where the amount of game currency said player(s) may have in game play may be unlimited, and where the ability of said player(s) to add game currency either to a communal currency reservoir and/or to said player(s)'s wealth may be unlimited and/or unrestricted.
 12. The method in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, where a game can be of any length in duration, and may be played indefinitely, so long as the requirements of Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ are met.
 13. The method in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, where the result of game play does not provide for, or require the determination of a winner; and where players may not be eliminated from game play, and where the interactions of players may be non-violent as pertaining to game play, and where the object of game play may be, inter alia, the collection of certain game components, and/or educational, and/or participation in group social interactions.
 14. The method in claim 8, where when an auction process is a part of game play, said auction process may be suspended for a given turn or turns, or held at regular intervals other than once per turn; or where the interactive event phase or Open portion of a turn may be suspended for a given turn or turns, or held at regular intervals other than once per turn.
 15. The method in claims 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14, where an auction process is part of game play, and where game rules provide that a player may choose not to participate in a given auction process, either fully or partially, by not submitting collectible components to said auction process, said player may be restricted in their abilities to participate in game play, where certain aspects of game play may be unavailable to said player whenever they do not fully or partially participate in said auction process, with said aspects being, inter alia: the ability to acquire certain game components in the auction process, and/or the ability to permanently keep certain game components that have been acquired from other players during game play.
 16. The method in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15, where players may be added or removed from game play; where the addition or removal of said players is negligible with regard to the fluidity, consistency and/or state of game play.
 17. The method in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, where the abilities of certain game components may be determined and/or activated by, inter alia: the roll of a die, a random number generating device, a device that generates random results, or by other game components.
 18. The method in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17, where a data recording method and/or device is used in game play to, inter alia: a) record the number, type and/or name of certain game components a player posses, b) record the value of certain game components within game play, c) record information which is indicated on the game components, d) track, monitor and/or manage game components, e) track and/or monitor the progress and/or flow of game play, f) track and/or monitor the abilities and/or functionality of certain game components during game play, and/or g) provide a way to determine compensation for players as prescribed by game play; where said data recording method and/or device may be, inter alia, an electronic device with a form containing data receptacles, a printed form with data receptacles, a computer generated form with data receptacles or a software program that can generate a form with data receptacles; where the use of a data recording method and/or device allows for suspension and resumption of game play.
 19. A method of playing a collectible card game, the method being suitable for card games having rules of play and multiple copies of a plurality of cards, with the rules of play including instructions, inter alia, on the use of game components, the objective of game play and instructions on executing turns; with players collecting cards from the multiple copies of a plurality of cards, by purchasing or trading cards, or as a result of acquiring cards through game play, to create a cache of cards and using said cache to play the game; where a player's cache of cards may be of any size and where additional cards can be added to a player's cache at any time; and having all players create a game bank before the start of game play and selecting a banker by majority vote of said players, where the banker collects and distributes funds from the bank and runs the auction process, where said banker may be replaced at anytime by a majority vote of the players; and by executing turns in accordance with the rules of play, with the execution of a turn comprising: a) submitting cards to an auction by having players select one or more cards from their cache of cards and placing those cards on the playing surface in front of them, and b) having one or more cards auctioned, and c) taking bids for the card(s) being auctioned until a winning bidder is determined, with the winning bidder acquiring the card(s) being auctioned, d) where the high bidder pays the bid amount to the player who submitted the card(s) to the auction, e) where if the high bidder is the player who submitted the card(s) to the auction, the bid amount is paid to the bank; and continuing the auction until all the cards submitted to the auction have been auctioned; with players purchasing game components with game cash; with game play continuing for an indefinite period of time or until the game ends; where Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ govern the change of ownership of cards as a result of game play, where said Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ require each player submit a minimum number of cards to the auction process and game length be a minimum number of auctions, where the minimum number of collectible cards a player must submit to the auction process during game play is 12 and where the minimum number of auctions is 6; where any game terminated before the prescribed mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ have been met, must hold a final auction, to ensure each player submits an equal number of cards to the auction process during the game; and where whenever a final auction is held, the number of cards a player submits to the final auction is determined by subtracting the number of cards said player has submitted to the auction process, from the required number of cards that must be submitted to the auction process by a player, with the difference being the number of cards said player submits to the final auction, where any player with a difference that is zero or less than zero, does not submit any cards to the final auction; where a player may not submit duplicate collectible components to said final auction unless said duplicate is approved by a majority of those players participating in said final auction; further, any player leaving game play before the prescribed mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ have been met, is required to give the banker the number of cards needed for said player to reach the minimum number of cards which must be submitted to the auction process by a player; where said player determines the number of cards they must give the banker by subtracting the number of cards said player has submitted to the auction process, from the required number of cards that must be submitted to the auction process by a player, with the difference being the number of cards said player must give the banker, where a difference that is zero or less than zero, means said player does not give any cards to the banker; and where a player leaving a game may not give duplicate cards to the banker, unless said duplicate is approved by a majority of those players participating in the game, and where cards received by the banker from a player or players leaving the game can be auctioned in a single auction, or over several auctions, at the discretion of the banker; and where a player leaving a game is entitled to any compensation said player would normally receive from the auctioning of their cards, with said player not needing to be present to receive said compensation; where any player who cannot meet the mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™, must relinquishes cards they have acquired through the auction process, to the extent that they comply with the mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™; where any player(s) with game currency can acquire cards through an auction or final auction, but when only one player has the ability to acquire cards, said player is allowed to do so only as long as said player distributes their purchases evenly among the other players, so that they purchase no more than one additional card from any player(s) than they purchase from the other player(s); and where Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ require that any card held by a player, that is on loan from another player and/or that has not been acquired in accordance with game rules, is returned to the owner of said card at the end of game play or when the owner leaves game play; where any player who has not met the requirements of Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ for the number of collectible cards needed to be submitted to game play, at the time they leave a game or when a game ends, must relinquish a number of collectible cards they have acquired from the other player(s) during the course of game play, that is equal to the number of collectible cards they are required to submit to game play minus the number of collectible cards they have submitted to game play; where the type of any collectible cards relinquished by a player may be chosen by a majority of the other players, or the other player in a two person game, where said relinquished collectible cards may be returned to their original owner or reentered into game play, depending on the rules of game play, where, when any relinquished collectible cards are resubmitted to the auction, the winning bid amount is paid to the bank, where remuneration may or may not be awarded the player relinquishing said collectible cards, depending on the rules of game play and/or the decision of a majority of the other players; where the steps of executing a turn consist of the auction process followed by an interactive event phase or Open, where during an Open players may, inter alia: a) interact with other players to acquire or relinquish cards or other game components, b) interact with other players to exercise or activate the abilities of cards or other game components, c) exercise or activate the abilities of their cards or other game components, d) construct agreements or barter deals with other players, in accordance with the rules of the game, and e) bring additional cards or other game components into game play as a result of: (i) interactions between cards and/or other game components, (ii) the activation and/or usage of the abilities of cards, (iii) the need to replenish game components, or (iii) the allowance and/or requirements of the rules of play; where the preferred number of cards a player submits to an auction is 2, but where the number of cards submitted to an auction may be: a) a fixed, mandatory number that remains constant throughout the course of game play, wherein the same specified number of cards must be submitted to the auction process for each game turn; b) a variable, mandatory number that changes during the course of game play, wherein a specified number of cards must be submitted to the auction process for a given turn, but where that specified number may change for any given game turn; c) a fixed, non-mandatory number that remains constant throughout the course of game play, wherein a specified number of cards may be submitted to the auction process for each turn, but where the specified number is not mandatory, and where the number of cards submitted to the auction process may be equal to or less than that specified number; d) a non-fixed, non-mandatory number that varies during the course of game play, wherein a specified number of cards may be submitted to the auction process for a given turn, but where that specified number may change for any given game turn, and where that specified number is not mandatory, and where the number of cards submitted to the auction process may be equal to or less than that specified number; e) an unrestricted number, where players can submit as many cards to the auction process as they like; where the number of cards submitted to an auction is determined by the game banker; where in certain versions of game play, a player may choose not to participate in a given auction by not submitting cards to an auction, or where a player may choose to submit a number of cards to the auction that is less than a specified number or is less than the minimum number required, where certain aspects of game play may be unavailable to players who do not submit a specified minimum or required number of cards to the auction, with those aspects of game play being, inter alia: the ability to acquire cards in the auction and the ability to permanently keep cards that have been acquired from other players during game play; where the collectible game cards may have the following information, inter alia: a) a picture; b) a value rating that determines the monetary value of a card in game play; c) nomenclature pertaining to said picture; d) informational data pertaining to said picture; e) card production information, which may include, inter alia, an identification number, a collection name, rarity, production run and/or chronological dating; where the abilities of certain game cards may be determined and/or activated by the roll of a die and/or other game cards; where a data recording sheet is used in game play to, inter alia: a) record and track the cards a player posses, b) record the nomenclature pertaining to the picture on the card, c) record the value rating of cards, d) record monetary aspects of game play, including monetary compensation for players during game play, e) record informational data listed on cards, f) record associations and interactions between cards, g) record the condition or state of cards as pertaining to game play, h) record card acquisitions and losses, i) monitor game play, j) provide for suspension and resumption of game play; where when the rules of game play provide for remuneration for game cards in a player's possession, said remuneration is paid said player from the game bank; where when the bank runs out of currency one or more game players may be required to add additional game currency to game play, either to the bank or through payment to themselves using game currency that they had added to game play; where the number of game cards for which a player receives remuneration or the specific amount of remuneration a player receives may be restricted and/or limited, where said restriction and/or limit may be adjusted during game play; where the auction process may be suspended for a given turn or turns, or held at regular intervals other than once per turn; where the auction portion of a turn may consist of two parts, where the first part consists of a method by which a player can acquire one of the cards they have submitted to the auction portion of the turn, which will not be offered for auction, but is purchased by said player by paying a fee to the bank, where that fee may be 10 times the value of the card or as specified by game rules, and where a player purchasing a card through the first part of the auction is required to submit two cards to the second part of the auction, where the second part of the auction portion of a turn is an auction where all players may bid on cards submitted to said auction, where the minimum bid that can be placed for a card may be the value of the card or as specified by game rules, where if no bid is received for the card at the required minimum amount, the player who submitted the card to the auction must purchased said card at the minimum bid amount and pay said amount to the bank, where an auction fee is paid to the bank for any card sold at auction, where the auction fee is 10 percent of the purchase price; where the auction fee is paid by the winning bidder; where players may execute their turns simultaneously; where the number of cards a player submits to an auction is 2; where any card purchased during the auction portion of a turn by a player is listed on said player's data recording sheet; where any card acquired during the Open portion of a turn by a player is listed on said player's data recording sheet; where in certain situations when a player may add a card to the cards they have in game play, but said card is not available, said player may add the remuneration value of said card to their data recording sheet, along with other pertinent information needed, as if they possessed said card; where certain aspects of game play require a player to exchange a card in game play for a card that is in said player's cache; where certain aspects of game play require a player to remove a card in game play and place said card in said player's cache; where players may be added or removed from game play; where when game play ends any money in the bank is distributed evenly among the players; where a winner may not be determined as a result of game play; where certain elements of game play may be withheld from basic or Elementary Rules of game play, but where said elements are available to players through the use of additional or Advanced Rules rules, where players can choose to expand the scope and capabilities of game play by adding one, several or all of the additional or Advanced Rules rules.
 20. The method in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, where certain game components are designed for educational purposes, and where the use of said components may be accompanied by teaching materials, instructions and/or information; where the educational aspects of the present invention may be in the presentation of informative data and/or through the practicing of skills such as, but not limited to, mathematics, inter-personal relations abilities, financial management, data collection and conservation. 